Tekken 7: Blood Feud
by Mr History 94
Summary: My version of the Tekken comic from Titan Comics and Tekken 7. This story will be a little different and will delve into Tekken 7. The beginning will be similar to the Tekken comic, but I plan on doing something original with it. The rest of the story will be original. And of course, more characters will be included, not just the Mishimas. All rights belong to Bandai Namco.
1. Times Change

**TEKKEN 7: BLOOD FEUD**

 **The best fights are personal. That is what most people think. But for what reason? Dedicating yourself to the art of fighting is a challenge that will test your mind, soul and body. No matter what their goals are, a battle they face is about who is still standing, nothing else.**

 **CAST OF CHARACTERS**

 ** _Heihachi Mishima - Clancy Brown_**

 ** _Kazumi Mishima - Karen Strassman_**

 ** _Jinpachi Mishima - Alan Shearman_**

 ** _Kazuya Mishima - Lex Lang_**

 ** _Jin Kazama - Brad Swaile_**

 ** _Jun Kazama -_ _Colleen O'Shaughnessey_**

 ** _Ling Xiaoyu - Carrie Keranen_**

 ** _Miharu Hirano - Kether Donohue_**

 ** _Asuka Kazama - G.K. Bowes_**

 ** _Hwoarang - Chris Rickabaugh_**

 ** _Baek Doo San - David Lodge_**

 ** _Lars Alexandersson - Taliesin Jaffe_**

 ** _Alisa Bosconovitch - Cristina Valenzuela_**

 ** _Yoshimitsu - Dan Woren_**

 ** _Kunimitsu - Alycin Packard_**

 ** _Ganryu - Paul St. Peter_**

 ** _Lee Chaolan - Grant George_**

 ** _Lei Wulong - Robert Jeremiah_**

 ** _Wang Jinrei - Richard Newman_**

 ** _Feng Wei - J.B. Blanc_**

 ** _Marshall Law - David Vincent_**

 ** _Paul Phoenix - Eric Kelso_**

 ** _Bryan Fury - Keith Silverstein_**

 ** _Robert "Bob" Richards - Patrick Seitz_**

 ** _Michelle Chang - Julie Ann Taylor_**

 ** _Julia Chang - Annie Wood_**

 ** _Bruce Irvin - Crispin Freeman_**

 ** _Bo "Rodeo" Montana - Nolan North_**

 ** _King - Neil Kaplan_**

 ** _Craig Marduk - T.J. Storm_**

 ** _Armor King - Fred Tatasciore_**

 ** _Eddy Gordo - Roger Craig Smith_**

 ** _Christie Monteiro - Leslie Wilkerson_**

 ** _Katarina Alves - Kari Wahlgren_**

 ** _Nina Williams - Mary Elizabeth McGlynn_**

 ** _Anna Williams - Tara Platt_**

 ** _Steve Fox - Gideon Emery_**

 ** _Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort - Joy Jacobson_**

 ** _Miguel Caballero Rojo - Liam O'Brien_**

 ** _Eleonor "Leo" Kliesen - Vernoica Taylor_**

 ** _Claudio Serafino - Troy Baker_**

 ** _Sergei Dragunov - Matthew Mercer_**

 ** _Zafina - Leslie Wilkerson_**

 ** _Shaheen - Oded Fehr_**

 ** _Lucky Chloe - Cherami Leigh_**

 ** _Sebastian - Dave Mallow_**

 ** _Tamaki - Laura Bailey_**

 ** _Jane - Erin Fitzgerald_**

 ** _JACK-7 - David Kaye_**

 ** _Gigas - Scott McNeil_**

 ** _Josie Rizal - Ananda Jacobs_**

 ** _Shuwawei - Michaela Dietz_**

 ** _Taiga Miyagi - Kirby Morrow_**

 ** _Rumi Kusakabe - Caitlin Glass_**

 ** _Isaak Lichtenfeld - Benjamin Diskin_**

 ** _Hu Yue - Stephanie Sheh_**

 ** _Forrest Law - Todd Haberkorn_**

 ** _Master Raven - Sorcha Chrisholm_**

 ** _Raven - D.C. Douglas_**

 ** _Angel - Debi Mae West_**

 ** _Azazel - Richard Epcar_**

 ** _Ogre - J.S. Gilbert_**

 ** _Eliza - Tasia Valenza_**

 ** _Revenant - Robin Atkin Downes_**

 **All characters used in this story, from Tekken to Tekken Mobile, belong to Bandai Namco, Katsuhiro Harada, Seiichi Ishii and everyone else involved in the making of this franchise.**

* * *

 **Part 1: Times Change**

 _G Corporation HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

It had been a long time since the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6 had ended. Jin Kazama, having arranged this battle to draw negative energies to the demon named Azazel, sacrificed himself to fight this monster. As such, the Mishima Zaibatsu found themselves leaderless, until a resurgent Heihachi Mishima stepped out of the shadows to reclaim control of it. While the majority of the news networks had assumed Jin to be dead, not everyone believed in such. Among them was the CEO of the G Corporation: Kazuya Mishima.

Since the end of the tournament, Kazuya had dispatched soldiers to the Middle East and other corners of the world, in hopes of retrieving Jin, who was also his son. Kazuya never bought the news international media told the world. He knew he was still out there somewhere. But at the same time, he would also have to contend with his father Heihachi, who had reclaimed control of the Zaibatsu.

Walking in the corridors, Kazuya was heading towards one of the headquarters' many facilitation rooms, where two people were expecting him. The first one was Anna Williams, his trusted secretary and the other one was Bruce Irvin, a commander of the G Corp's military forces. Kazuya was pleased to see them being present.

"You are both here. Good" Kazuya told them before motioning his head at the door before them. "I believe everyone has been brought in that room as requested" he told his subordinates.

Anna smirked in return. "Of course. Why wouldn't we? After all, they were either asked to come nicely, or come with a dart stuck on their necks. We stuck with the latter option" the brunette told Kazuya before glancing over at the door before them. "They should be awake as we speak" she told him.

"What is that you plan on doing with them, Kazuya? Are you sure these nitwits are what we need for your objectives?" Bruce asked him.

Kazuya simply glanced at him with a cunning grin. "Yes. Even though Anna's attempt to capture that brat and her pet in Kyoto failed, we still have a clue where she is headed towards with that helicopter" Kazuya responded while holding up a tablet which was currently tracking something. "We all know that Nina Williams left the Zaibatsu after disagreements with Heihachi. And why she would interfere in G Corp-business when she no longer answers to him only speaks volumes. Something does seem rather suspicious" the black-haired man with the red eye told his associates.

"I know. Things just keeps getting better and better" Anna noted gleefully to herself. "Well then, shall we enter the facilitation room? It's best we give our friends a welcome they deserve" she suggested to her boss.

Kazuya nodded his head and Anna tapped on the buttons nearby. This resulted in the door opening by moving from each other in opposite directions. The trio entered. They came into a large rounded room with white walls. Even the floor was white. But the trio was more focused on the group of fighters they had gathered in this room.

There was Bryan Fury, a cyborg created by Dr Abel who always enjoyed wreaking havoc upon everything he came across. Armor King was a mysterious wrestler who always wore a black jaguar mask. Miguel Caballero Rojo, a Spanish rebel who was a ticking timebomb wherever he went. Katarina Alves was a sassy Brazilian woman who loved to beat up punks when she felt like doing it. Feng Wei was a Chinese Kenpo master who desired to remain the strongest fighter that existed. And last and not least there was Ganryu, a champion of the Sumo-world, who had actually been one of Kazuya's important associates in the past, especially when Kazuya ran the Mishima Zaibatsu.

"What is the meaning of this?" Katarina wondered while adjusting her sunglasses. "Where am I? And who the hell's this overgrown cat?" she asked while glancing at Armor King.

The wrestler had taken notice of her words and was not pleased to hear them. "Respect those stronger than you, girl" Armor King told her.

Katarina did not like hearing that. "What was that!?" she warned him.

Ganryu was now in deep thought. "What happened? I was doing my work at Chanko Paradise, then fell asleep. Now I myself here along with other fighters of the tournament. But that girl is unfamiliar to me. She looks pretty, but that's nothing compared to my dearest Julia!" he thought as he glanced around.

Bryan simply grinned when seeing what he was surrounded with. "Now this may be my luckiest day, yet. So many fighters from the tournament to chose from. I wonder which of you will dies easily" the man grinned sadistically.

Feng narrowed his eyes when hearing what Bryan said. "You suppose a demented man such as you can kill me? A flawed assumption on your part" he told him calmly, yet tauntingly at the same time.

"Watch it, wide-eyes! You don't have the balls to trash me, let alone the fists to defeat me!" Bryan retorted, yet Feng didn't seem intimidated by the pale-skinned man's threats.

"Heh. You're also someone who enjoys violence?" Miguel asked Bryan with a smirk. "Well, good luck trying to hit me. I am hard to kill, just for your information" he told the cyborg, who only sneered at him in return.

Katarina felt somewhat amused to hear Miguel's words. "So you think you're such a hotshot?" she asked him while stroking her long hair. The young woman then began her fighting stance. "Then come at me! I'll kick your ass and send you crying to your mamãe!" she then dared him.

Miguel did not like the arrogance in Katarina's voice, so he cracked his knuckles and moved towards her. "Careful what you say, puta! You think I'll go easy on you because you're a woman!?" the brown-haired man told her.

Before this confrontation could escalate, Kazuya, Anna and Bruce decided it was now time to interfere and officially introduce themselves for their captives. Kazuya was the first one to speak up, his cunning smile never fading away. The group of fighters turned their attentions towards the CEO of the G Corp.

"Welcome to the G Corporation's HQ, Katarina Alves, Bryan Fury, Feng Wei, Armor King, Miguel Caballero Rojo and Ganryu. Sorry for not sending my invitations in advance. You know how busy we really are" Kazuya introduced himself while his captives all glared daggers at him.

"I can't believe it….." Ganryu stuttered. "Kazuya, Bruce and Anna…..what are you all doing here!? Wait…..am I in the HQ of the G Corp now!?" the Sumo wrestler wondered.

Kazuya, Anna and Bruce all took notice of Ganryu's confusion. Anna chuckled to herself. "He's still as clueless as he was back then" the brunette remarked.

Bruce also had to be amused. "Seems like the years haven't been kind to you" he told Ganryu, who was too stunned and confused to even realize what his former compatriots were saying.

"You….." Miguel growled beneath his breath. "You're the father of that bastardo Jin Kazama! Why the fuck am I here!?" he demanded an answer out of him.

Kazuya smirked when hearing this. "My reputation precedes me" he noted to himself.

"Tch, am I in here because of my actions against you? Well, I sure as hell don't regret taking those G Corp test subjects and using it against you" he told Kazuya with a psychotic grin.

Armor King glanced at Bryan. The cyborg could see this and did so in return. "I helped free some of the test subjects. I never thought someone like you would take advantage of them" he told Bryan coldly.

In response, Bryan simply laughed in return. "As if I give damn!" he responded, yet the masked wrestler was keen on teaching him some manners. Yet for some strange reason, he restrained himself.

"Perhaps it would be better if I simply skip the foreplay and get straight to the point" Kazuya suggested and he tapped on his tablet. When he did that, a hologram of the world map suddenly appeared in front of the captured fighters. Some additions were added to the hologram, including a picture of Jin Kazama. "All of you may know this. The CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu Jin Kazama vanished shortly after the last Iron Fist Tournament. Most people believe he is dead, considering that his body was nowhere to be found in the Middle East. But we think otherwise. We believe that with the help of some defectors of the Zaibatsu, Jin has managed to survive, and his currently hiding somewhere here in Japan" the black-haired man went on explaining the details to them.

While most of the fighters listened, only Miguel seemed to have his composure not under control. His anger was boiling as he saw the picture of Jin, the same man who had ordered the raid on his sister's wedding.

"Just you wait, Kazama….I'm gonna bust the hell outta you!" he thought.

"What is it you really want from us?" Feng asked Kazuya coldly.

Kazuya formed a smirk in the process. "I want your assistance in tracking down Jin and apprehending him. But then again, some of you may also want to take a look at the recruits he has swayed to his side through payment" he told them.

The hologram soon showed two pictures for them to see. They were Yoshimitsu and King respectively. This caused both Armor King and Bryan to react fiercely.

"That twofaced pain in the ass! What is he doing being that brat's slave!?" Bryan demanded angrily.

"You…" Armor King said as he watched the picture of King. The wrestler could he heard growling to himself. "So you're finally showing your true colors? Working with that Mishima-punk to earn money, so you can pay that bastard Marduk's hospital bills!?" he was furious on the inside.

"You want me to join your gang of crooks!?" Ganryu asked Kazuya and his associates. "No way! I now have a greater cause to fight for then being with….." Ganryu was interrupted when Bruce spoke up.

"You mean that restaurant of yours? Sorry to tell you this, but we've planted a bomb inside it. You want to think about what you do before we blow it up" Bruce told him.

To convince him, Anna help put a remote in her right hand. Seeing this made Ganryu gasp in disbelief and a part of him was also angered at the same time. He really wanted to just attack the three and destroy the remote. But he was now at a disadvantage. Sighing, Ganryu lowered his guard, thus signalizing his intend to work for them.

Kazuya became satisfied. "Hmm, you made the right choice, Ganryu. Now as for the rest of you all know what's at stake here. Each of you will join me and my associates to track down Jin. And don't forget, I haven't removed the bounty I placed on his head for his capture yet. Whoever does capture or defeat him, will be rewarded handsomely" Kazuya told the three before turning around to walk away.

"Hold it, Mishima!" the voice of Miguel could be heard, forcing Kazuya, Anna and Bruce to turn around and look at them. The young Spanish man was glaring at them warily. "I don't care whatever your schemes are, but know this! Jin Kazama is mine!" the brown-haired man told him.

Hearing this forced Kazuya to chuckle in amusement. "Sure. Assuming you are strong enough to kill him, that is" he responded before taking his leave.

Miguel was furious over hearing this, yet he kept his cool. The trio exited the room and this left the gathered fighters alone. Whatever motives Kazuya had for capturing and recruiting them, they didn't sound good. But then again, each of these fighters would forge their own destiny when the time was right.

* * *

 _The Hida Mountains, Japan_

Ling Xiaoyu was very confused right now. Why was she and Panda suddenly on a helicopter headed towards the north of Japan? The young girl with pigtails still couldn't get how this happened. A few hours ago, back in Kyoto, she and Panda were on their way to a party hosted by a classmate of Xiaoyu's: Miharu Hirano. But things didn't go that way. Xiaoyu and Panda found themselves almost getting hit by a car. Luckily, they managed to avoid getting hit and ran into an alleyway so that car wouldn't chase them. But in the alleyway, the pair was confronted by Anna Williams, a high-ranking member of the G Corporation along with a squadron of soldiers. Anna demanded to know the whereabouts from Jin, only for Xiaoyu to refuse and fight the soldiers. Surprisingly, she was joined by Paul Phoenix and Nina Williams, who had arrived at the scene to save her and Panda from the G Corp's clutches.

After driving away in a van, Xiaoyu and Panda were taken to the helicopter she currently found herself sitting on. They flew away from Kyoto and were now arriving at an abandoned temple in the middle of the Kyoto Mountains. Xiaoyu glanced out of the window to see the temple. She was sitting the back along with Panda and Paul.

"What is this place?" Xiaoyu asked Nina, who was piloting the helicopter.

"Home. For now" Nina replied with no emotion in her voice as usual.

Paul scoffed when he heard that. "That's a little too presumptuous" the man with the strange hairstyle remarked, yet Nina didn't seem interested to hear at all.

The helicopter soon landed near the temple's entrance. Putting on her red jacket, Xiaoyu felt herself getting agitated by not hearing enough answers from either Paul or Nina. None of them had bothered revealing more details of their reasons for coming after her since she got on the helicopter.

"I just want to know why you have brought me here" Xiaoyu said, although she could see both Paul and Nina exit, to which she and Panda did the same thing.

"You'll hear soon enough, kid" Paul replied before moving towards the temple's entrance.

Xiaoyu leaned down to scratch Panda's fur. "You don't understand. I'm going to be in so much….." Xiaoyu turned around when she could notice a shadow appear over her. Turning around, she was stunned to see who it was. "….trouble" she finished her sentence.

The one who was standing before her was King, the Mexican wrestler wearing his trademark jaguar mask. He only stood still and glanced at Xiaoyu with his arms folded.

Xiaoyu readied her fighting stance. "What is this? The King of Iron Fist Reunion?" Xiaoyu demanded an answer out of him.

"No. This isn't what you think it is" King answered plainly. But when Xiaoyu moved her right leg to sweep him, King avoided it by jumping over it. "Peace, Xiaoyu. I'm not here to fight you" King insisted to her.

"Just mail the invite next time, yeah!?" Xiaoyu retorted, still believing this was the Iron Fist Tournament. "Or better yet, leave me out of it all together!" she then snapped while trying to attack King on his head, only for the wrestler to block her attack.

"I told you, I'm not your enemy!" King tried to make Xiaoyu stop yet it was no use.

Before Xiaoyu could continue, Nina grabbed the girl on her right wrist. "That's enough!" the blondie told her sternly before slamming her onto the ground of dirt. "We didn't bring you here to fight!" she added to Xiaoyu.

The girl with pigtails brushed off the dirt on her jacket before trying to get up. "Then why are we all here?" she asked.

"All will be explained in time" a familiar voice could be heard from the temple's entrance. Xiaoyu looked up to see two persons standing by the entrance. The first one was a swordsman whom Xiaoyu was very familiar with.

"You" she uttered out lowly as she could see Yoshimitsu from the Manji Clan standing there. The other person leaning against the temple's entrance was none other than Eddy Gordo, a well-renowned Capoeira master, as well as a former Tekken Force commander.

"You've brought a girl and her pet panda to help us? This has to be a joke" Eddy remarked from what he was seeing.

Xiaoyu was onto the ground, yet she couldn't help but to feel slightly angered over hearing the tone in Eddy's voice. But as she was about to retort to him, something else prevented her from venting her anger. She could see someone standing at the doorway and she gasped.

"I'm sorry about all the mystery, Xiaoyu. It's hard who to know who to trust these days" the voice came from none other than Jin Kazama, the former CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu, who had been missing in action for a long time.

Xiaoyu was stunned to see Jin standing there. "Jin! What happened to you!? You look terrible!" the young girl asked her former schoolmate.

"What happened?" Jin asked her, his voice as calm as usual. "I saved everyone. And it nearly killed me. But above all, Azazel is dead" the young man revealed to her as the others soon joined up at the temple's entrance.

"You saved everyone, yes. But you did so at the expense of other lives" Eddy sternly reminded him while having his arms crossed in dispassion.

"Jin, what is this all about? I've so many questions!" Xiaoyu wanted an answer out of him.

"It is time you told us more about the reason why you have called for us to the Hide Mountains, Kazama? All of us would like to know what the world's most wanted man is seeking" Yoshimitsu told Jin.

Jin nodded his head in agreement. "Everyone. Get inside. I will fill you in on the reason I have summoned you all here" Jin told them and the gathered fighters did as he told them.

They were now inside this temple, with Jin sitting on what appeared to resemble some kind of throne. There were lights in this hall, thus enabling some warmth to arrive inside the temple. Jin let out a deep sigh before speaking up.

"I need your help. All of you. When I was in charge of the Mishima Zaibatsu, I established a secret archive of weapons and artifacts" Jin told those who were gathered around him.

"What sort of artifacts?" Yoshimitsu asked.

"The one that should never fall into the wrong hands" Jin answered grimly.

"Like your dear ol' grandpa's?" Paul asked him while mentioning Jin's grandfather, Heihachi Mishima.

Jin weakly nodded in return. "Correct. There is on particular artifact that is dangerous: the one called "Artifact 333". I need you to fetch it from the archive before Heihachi learns of its existence" he told them.

"Artifact 333. You never told either of us about it" Eddy told him. He then glanced over at Nina. "Did he tell you something?" he asked her.

Nina shook her head. "Sadly, he did not. Something which he should have long ago" she replied before fixing her eyes upon Jin. "Now where is this archive you speak of?" she asked him.

"You'll find it on Usiyi Island in the Northern Pacific. The archives is in it's deepest jungle so you will have to search carefully" Jin told her.

"But why can't you get it yourself? At least be honest with us here, Jin" Xiaoyu asked him.

"And why can't this thing stop scratching? You got fleas, bear?" Paul asked while noticing Panda scratching herself until something came off. However, Panda still heard Paul's bear-comment, and she did not take it kindly. She punched Paul up in the air. "AAAAAH WHAT THE HELL!?" he asked before landing on the floor.

"I told you not to call her bear" Xiaoyu told him.

But Nina went over to look at the thing Panda had scratched away and it didn't turn out to be a flea. "This is no flea" the blondie said as she could see the tiny object making beeping noises. She showed it for everyone to see what it was.

Jin leaned over to get a closer took. "You're right. That's a G Corp tracker" Jin said grimly.

"A what!?" Eddy angrily asked as she looked at what Nina was holding in her fingers. "Droga! That means they'll be on our tails as we speak! Our hideout has been uncovered, all thanks to that girl and that pet of hers!" the Brazilian man told Jin while pointing a finger at Xiaoyu and Panda.

The Chinese girl could not stand being spoken to like that. "Hey! It's not our fault that we got dragged into this mess in the first place!" she snapped at Eddy. "And for the record, Panda is not my pet! She's one of my best friends!" Xiaoyu added to her defense, yet Eddy remained unsympathetic to her.

Nina stepped in between Xiaoyu and Eddy, this ending their glaring match. "Settle down, both of you! To me, it's obvious Anna planted this device on your panda while we were fighting in Kyoto. As much as I hate to say it, she's not someone to be taken lightly with" Nina told the fighters gathered around her. "That being said, Kazuya and his mercenaries will arrive here soon. We can't stay here" she then explained.

"Then we best leave this place immediately" King suggested to them all. "If we leave the tracker here, they might still think we're still here" the wrestler told them.

Jin got up from the throne and headed towards the door. "My sentiments exactly! The nearest car we have is 20 minutes of walking from this location. If we hurry, then we might…

Before Jin could reach the door, an explosion suddenly occurred and it sent Jin and his group flying backwards. Despite how powerful it was, they managed to get up on their feet quickly. However, they were distressed by seeing those standing at the spot where the explosion had taken place. It was Kazuya Mishima and his associates: Bruce Irvin and Anna Williams. But they were accompanied by a group of JACKs, made from the G Corp itself. Kazuya was cracking his red gloves while facing Jin directly.

"They told me that you had been killed. I knew it was too good to be true" Kazuya told Jin before forming a smirk. "Still, if you want someone dead, do it yourself!" he told his son.

Jin gritted his teeth in frustration when hearing this. "Kazuya…." he lowly muttered out the name of his father in disgust. "I almost got myself killed, but the risk was worth it! It prevented someone like you to take Azazel's power!" he retorted.

Kazuya was far from impressed by his son's words. "You think that's enough to impress me? You may have destroyed that thing, but I still have you" he said with a grin forming at the end of his sentence. "And I see you have gathered a group of lackeys here. Well let's see how they stand up to my mercenaries and JACKs!" he called out while raising his fist in the air.

Kazuya's associates, JACKs and his newly acquired mercenaries all entered the temple. A fighting was beginning to ensue in this place.

Eddy's eyes glared daggers when seeing Kazuya standing up there and he was about to charge against him. But Bruce attempted to attack him from the air with his heel, only for Eddy to do a backflip and land on his hands. Using his flexibility, the Brazilian man moved back to standing on her feet.

"What's this? You're still that brat's buttslave even after leaving the Tekken Force? I guess Heihachi wasn't much of a contributor to your master's well-being" Bruce taunted Eddy.

"It's none of your damn business! I only do this because of the money Jin owes me for serving him. It will cover the expenses of the medicine my master needs" Eddy retorted before landing a kick on Bruce, but the kickboxer had his good defenses. "Besides, the only buttslave I see here is you! Do you even realize how many crimes Kazuya has committed!?" the Capoeira fighter asked him.

Bruce only grunted. "That's rich, coming from the guy who's with the instigator of the war that spread across the world. We only answered it's call to oppose you" Bruce said before shoving Eddy's foot away. "But now that you're not with the Zaibatsu anymore, dealing with you will be a peace of cake" Bruce added.

After fighting off some JACKs, King was shocked to see Armor King standing there facing him. "You…..why are you with the…." King was filled with so many questions, yet Armor King spoke up before he could even ask.

"Don't look so surprised! You know very well why I'm here! You thought you could hide from me that you're seeking to help Marduk paying his medical bills!?" Armor King growled before launching himself at King, the wrestlers engaging in combat. The two clashed arms with one another. "Well here is my response to that!" Armor King added.

"You're such a fool!" King berated him. "You were captured by the G Corp during the last tournament and now you're their mercenary all of a sudden!? Whatever they've promised you, they won't give it to you!" he then tried to reason with him.

Armor Kings responded by carrying King and tossing him away. But King was quick on his feet and landed on them. "You think this is all about money!? For you, it may be!" he retorted, only for King to charge towards him. The two grabbed hands and tried to overpower the other. "But for me, it's different! The G Corp are only a means to an end. I'm here to make you pay for not avenging my brother when you had the chance!" he added to his anger.

King growled when hearing that. "You're wrong! You're not my mentor's brother! He was never a creature filled with vengeance and hatred! That's you!" he pointed out to his opponent, thus enraging Armor King.

Yoshimitsu were having some difficulties with Bryan, who was only happy to get the chance in killing him. "You despicable fiend! I should have known that a treacherous snake such as you would side with someone so demonic as Kazuya Mishima!" the swordsman said after having cut some of the attacking JACKs.

Bryan only grinned psychotically in return. "How else was I to track down your hive? And for the record, I ain't anyone's partner. Cause once I've taken your miserable lie….." Bryan said before charging straight towards Yoshimitsu. "I'll kill anyone I come across!" the pale-skinned man exclaimed.

Yoshimitsu stood his guard, and charged towards his opponent. "You are a madman! And as such, you are beyond redemption!" the swordsman said before swinging his sword, only for Bryan to dodge it with his quick wits. "You will suffer for what you have done to my comrades, as well as betraying the doctor's trust! Doctor Bosconovitch took pity upon you while Doctor Abel did not! Now I will correct my mistake by eliminating you!" Yoshimitsu added before Bryan pulled out a handgun to try and shoot him.

"Shut up, you walking piece of scrap!" the cyborg shouted at him.

Meanwhile, Xiaoyu and Panda were defending Jin, while fighting against Feng and Ganryu respectively. So far, Jin had not moved to either fight or defend himself. Something was wrong with him. Nevertheless, Xiaoyu was standing her ground against Feng, who was indeed a powerful fighter. In the meantime, Panda did good against Ganryu, who was overpowered by her.

"For being a mere child, you do have some potential as a fighter" the Chinese man said before blocking an attack from Xiaoyu. "However, you have not undergone the same training as I have. That is why you can never defeat me. So give up before you get hurt" Feng advised her.

"I'm not just a mere child! I'm Ling Xiaoyu!" the young girl retorted before dodging an attack from Feng. "And besides, I'll never stop fighting! I've taken down bullies far bigger than you!" she added with a taunt directed towards him.

Feng narrowed his eyes in displeasure when hearing this. "Impudent child" he muttered beneath his breath.

Kazuya was trying to get to Jin, but someone was standing in his way. It was Paul, who had managed to beat up both Miguel and Katarina. The judo fighter grinned at him cockily, yet Kazuya was far from impressed.

"Get out of my way, Phoenix. I came here to find my son, not to waste time with you" Kazuya spoke up while confronting Paul.

"A family reunion? Awww, how sweet" Paul mockingly said before moving into his fighting stance. "But I could care less about you and your family. We still have score to settle! And you're not gonna run away from me, anymore!" Paul said and charged towards Kazuya.

The two men clashed, yet Kazuya was furious over this. "If you insist. But you asked for it!" the red-eyed man told him and they continued this fighting.

Even as fights raged across the temple, Jin hadn't done anything to defend himself. Xiaoyu took notice of this and tried to get a hold of him as she mad managed to push Feng away.

"Jin! Why are you just standing there! Do something!" Xiaoyu called out to him, only to be attacked from Feng.

"Never take your eyes OFF your opponent, girl!" Feng scolded her.

Right now, Jin was feeling conflicted. It was due to the Devil that rested inside him. It was begging him to fight. But Jin knew very well that if he did that, the Devil would consume him, as it had consumed him during his fight against Azazel.

"You will fight again!" the Devil called to him.

"No! I must not! I never will!" Jin said to himself, feeling distressed as the Devil called out to him.

As Jin was struggling with his inner demons, Miguel, having gotten up after being defeated by Paul, immediately ran towards Jin and delivered a punch on the Japanese man's right chin. He was sent flying towards the floor. The Spanish man was furious.

"This hatred I bear for you and you alone!" Miguel yelled as he was prepared to attack Jin once again. "DIE, BASTARDO!" the young Spanish man yelled before he was kicked on is left hip by Xiaoyu. Miguel saw her and growled in anger.

"I won't let you kill Jin!" Xiaoyu told her firmly as she stood against him.

"Fucking bitch…" Miguel muttered beneath his breath. "This monster ordered the Mishima Zaibatsu raid on my hometown in Spain, on my sister's wedding day! My sister perished during that day! And it's that diablo's fault!" he angrily told her.

Xiaoyu's eyes widened when hearing this. "What? You're not making any sense!" she told him.

Miguel's eyes burned with anger and he was keen on attacking Xiaoyu without mercy. But before he could even land a blow upon her, he was attacked by none other than Jin. Miguel was punched on his right cheek and he was sent rolling on the floor.

"Jin!" Xiaoyu said, only to be concerned when Jin felt pain inside her head. "What's with you?" she wondered as she could see how troubling he was feeling inside himself.

Nina could see this while fending off Anna. "Damn. He's not in condition to fight" she noted before glancing over to Eddy. The two nodded their heads at one another and threw each a grenade in the middle of the hall. But it turned out to be a couple of smokescreens and they sure activated fast. All the current fights were interrupted. While Kazuya's mercenaries could not see Jin, the JACKs could and they were searching for him and his cohorts.

Jin and his group had used the smokescreen to escape to the helicopter. Xiaoyu and Nina were helping Jin to the helicopter amidst this thick cloud of smoke.

"Hurry up, will ya!?" Paul called out to them as he stood by the helicopter's door.

"Shut up and start the damn helicopter!" Nina berated him and Paul did as he was told.

But as the helicopter started and began taking off, it's propels began swirling away the smoke screen to some extent. Kazuya and his group took notice of this and immediately ran to the edge of the cliff.

"They're getting away! Stop them!" Kazuya commanded them.

"With pleasure!" Anna said, as she already had the helicopter in her bazooka's aim.

But Nina, who got on the helicopter last could see what he sister was planning. She knew that it would only jeopardize their escape. Reaching for a detonator she held onto, he pushed it. The moment, she did that, an enormous explosion erupted in the temple. Apparently, Nina had been planting explosives in the temple and they were to activated in case of wanting to remove evidence of their stay at the temple.

The explosion caught them by surprise, yet only the JACKs were destroyed. They all got up on their feet and watched as the helicopter flew west towards the coastline. They were on their way to the sea.

"Mierda!" Miguel cursed as he watched the helicopter disappear. "I almost had him!" he added to his anger.

"Hmmm, those guys sure did a great job escaping" Bruce noted. "But then again, it was probably Nina's doing, not Jin's" he then suggested.

"Hmmm, I hope you're not complimenting that bitch" Anna expressed her displeasure over hearing this, yet Bruce only shrugged his shoulders in return.

"Our target escaped. How do we get him now?" Armor King asked his comrades.

Bruce smirked when hearing this. "Don't worry. I managed to plant a tracker on the helicopter while you were busy planting the bomb on the temple's door" he said before taking his glance at Kazuya. "With it, we should be able to locate where they're headed" he told him.

But so far, Kazuya had been watching the distance, having so many thoughts in his head. It was about Jin. "What has happened to you, Jin? Why have you become so weak? I expected your victory over Azazel to have strengthened you up! Instead, you're whimpering like some child!" Kazuya thought, not getting what was wrong with him.

"Shall we pursue them?" Anna asked her superior.

This time, Kazuya finally stopped thinking and turned his attention to the fighters he had gathered. "We won't, but those six will. All of you are to follow Jin and apprehend him, dead or alive. Do whatever you have to do" Kazuya told them before starting moving. "I must go and reflect on what has happened with my pathetic excuse for a son" he said before walking down the stairs.

The group of fighters didn't know what to do, yet Bruce decided to give them some assistance, so handed them a tablet so that they would monitor Jin's whereabouts. But he also handed them over some keys, as well as a G Corp cellphone.

"Here, you wanna collect the bounty on Jin's head? Then head over to the harbor in Onagawa and find the powerboat that's docked there. If our calculations are to be believed, Jin and his pack of rats will travel across the Northern Pacific" Bruce told them.

Anna stood by Bruce and smiled smugly at the group. "Best do as Kazuya says. After all, we know all about your lives, as well as what you really want. Whether you want to find God Fist scrolls, hated enemies, endless riches or even a lost father, we will be more than happy to give you that" Anna revealed to them. "But to do so, you will need to capture Jin. That's all we ask of you" the brunette told them.

"We'll leave you six to find Jin. And DON'T fail the mission!" Bruce told them and he and Anna walked away to catch up with Kazuya. It was apparent that a helicopter was on it's way.

The group of six were no gathered to decide what to do. "You heard what they said. We all have a reason for hunting down that brat. I say we join hands until we reach out goals" Bryan suggested to them cunningly.

"And who made you the leader!? I sure as hell didn't!" Miguel told him.

Bryan sneered at him. "Watch it, punk!" he replied.

"As much as I hate to admit it, this creepy man has some truth in his words" Katarina spoke up while taking off her sunglasses. "We may have different goals, but perhaps we can work this out. We could capture Kazama, and then fool the G Corp when the time is right. What do you say about that, boys?" Katarina suggested to them.

To her surprise, most of them, minus Miguel, seemed more than interested in her suggestion.

"You seem like an intelligent woman despite your cockiness" Feng noted before giving her the G Corp cellphone. "How about you give them a call and pretend we're interested in capturing Jin?" he suggested to him.

Katarina smiled at him in return while putting on her glasses. "With pleasure" she said before dialing the phone.

Armor King handed her the keys to the speedboat. "We best move fast if we are to catch that gang" the wrestler suggested. "But from what I can tell, they may be headed for an island in the Pacific or something" he then tried to come up with a thought.

"But are you sure this is a good idea? You saw how dangerous that Jin-person really was" Ganryu spoke up.

"Weren't you the one whose restaurant was planted with bombs?" Miguel asked the plump man, who immediately slumped his face in defeat.

Katarina was finally getting in touch with the G Corp. "Hey, this is Katarina Alves. We're interested in tracking down Jin Kazama. Get us a helicopter to Onagawa. We'll take the job from there" she told Kazuya with a smug smile on her lips.

* * *

 _Souq, Saudi Arabia_

In a town somewhere in Saudi Arabia, the village's marketplace was bustling with all kinds of activity. Traders and travelers from all across the Arabian Peninsula were coming to these places to share with all kinds of treasures that were worth selling to those with high wealth and power. The marketplace was also near the town's bazaar. It was also near the marketplace in an alleyway were the young Egyptian woman named Zafina currently found herself in.

She was on the run from Arab soldiers, who were working for a corrupt warlord, one who had desired to buy the ruins of the Temple of Azazel, as well as the village she lived in. Under guidance of her village's guru, Zafina was tasked to find the location of this warlord and end assassinate him. But so far, she hadn't had luck in getting close to him.

Zafina herself had changed since the end of the last King of Iron Fist Tournament. Azazel had awakened, but Jin himself had sacrificed to end this monster. And he succeeded in doing that. The young woman was not sure whether to be thankful or not. A part of her felt grateful to his sacrifice, as Azazel would no longer haunt the world. He was gone forever. Jin had succeeded in something her ancestors never did. But another part of Zafina still couldn't forgive Jin for his role in starting this war. Thousands of human lives had been lost. Such transgressions were difficult to forgive, even if Zafina knew that those lives were sacrificed for a greater good.

But even now, the war between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Coportaion was still ongoing. Heihachi was now in control of the Zaibatsu again and Kazuya remained the G Corp's CEO. Even so, her guru had instructed her not to meddle herself in the conflict, as he felt it didn't threaten the interest of their village. Zafina hoped her guru was correct.

As the soldiers almost cornered Zafina against a wall of bricks, they were surprised to see that the young woman was nowhere to be seen. They had wondered if she had managed to climb up the wall. That turned out to be the truth, as they could see Zafina run on the balconies.

"There she is! Fire at will!" the captain of the soldiers told his comrades and they fired their machine guns without a stop.

Fortunately for Zafina, she could see that one of the doors on the balcony were open. She ran through the room, not caring about she was trespassing and proceeded towards the opened doorway she saw. From there, she would exit the building and then land on a pile of sand. After landing on the sand, she noticed that she was back at the marketplace. Hoping to not attract attention, Zafina entered the bazaar. Hopefully, the soldiers would have difficulties searching for her there.

"It has been a long time since that day" Zafina spoke to herself as she mingled with the crowded space. "Azazel was defeated at the hands of one the two evil stars: Jin Kazama. As admirable as that is, I can't forgive his atrocities he and his father did throughout the world" the dark-haired woman added, proceeding towards an Arabic café.

Once inside, Zafina was served with some tea, yet she waited before taking a sip. Being born into a group of spiritual warriors, Zafina was known to be quite perceptive for someone at her young age. Drinking her tea, she closed her eyes while thinking about what she could do now that the tomb she was sworn to protect, was destroyed.

"The tomb may be gone, but I still have to protect my people. I fear that in the years to come, many foreign armies will try to enlist us for their own nefarious ends. That I fear most" the young woman thought in her head.

As she was sitting. Zafina could notice a piece of paper flying to her table. Grabbing it, she could read something written in Arabic. It was actually written زافينا on the paper, which was actually her name in Arabic. The young woman looked up and could see someone sitting across her. It was a young Arabic man who wore a red and white checkered shemagh and a black agal on his head. He was dressed in a white military uniform. Zafina couldn't believe her own eyes.

"You….." she spoke up while moving over to the table where the young man was sitting. Zafina narrowed her eyes at him. "Care to explain to me why you have followed me….Shaheen?" she addressed the man by his name.

The Saudi Arabian simply smiled in return. "How interesting that you remember my name" he told her. But the smile soon faded away. "But I beg to differ your assumptions. I have not followed you. My superiors told me you were here in Souq stalking corrupt thieves. How else would I recognize it was you?" Shaheen told her in a slightly serious manner.

"I am only defending my people against a greedy warlord who has been harassing us since the last tournament. Now that I no longer have to guard Azazel, my people's security is my priority" Zafina answered him in return. She still felt somewhat wary of Shaheen. "Now tell me, what is it you truly want with me? Does your company have interest in buying the ruins of the temple?" she asked him firmly.

"Once again, you are allowing your emotions to cloud your judgement, Zafina. That alone only becomes a liability of yours" Shaheen insisted to her. "And just to clarify your suspicions, my company has no interest in fallen temples, let alone those who once housed ancient demons. Instead, we're interested in the demons that currently walk among us on this world" the young man revealed to her.

Zafina's eyes widened in realization. "What do you mean by that?" she asked him, only for the Saudi Arabian man to stand up form his seat and walk towards the café's exit.

"If you are interested, then cease this foolish cat and mouse game in Souq and come with me. A limousine is awaiting us outside the bazaar as we speak" Shaheen told her before exiting.

As much as she hated following Shaheen, Zafina had to admit she was curious to know more about what kind of objectives he had. She knew all about Shaheen and his company, which was a private military firm specializing in the provision of security services. Shaheen had himself served in the Saudi Arabian army before becoming employed by that firm.

Zafina entered the white limousine, and it drove out of the marketplace and onto the streets of Souq. The young woman was concerned about whether some of the soldiers of the corrupt warlord would recognize her. Shaheen took notice of this and shook his head slightly.

"It is useless. These windows are made with the blackest tint. Your enemies won't be able to recognize you, let alone see you in this limousine" Shaheen told her.

Realizing that he spoke the truth, Zafina decided to turn her attention on the Saudi Arabian man she had decided to accompany. A part of her was still not feeling trustworthy of him. She also wondered whether Shaheen felt the same way. But she would figure that out later.

"What is it you really wish to accomplish? Is it the ongoing battle between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation?" she asked him sternly.

"In a metaphorically sense, yes. But there is more to that than meets the eye" Shaheen told her and he pushed a button a remote. A hologram was suddenly showed in the lounge they were sitting by and they could see two pictures. They were Kazuya Mishima and Heihachi Mishima. "After Jin Kazama vanished, Heihachi Mishima seized control of the Zaibatsu, who was desperate to win the war against the G Corporation. But despite Heihachi's insistence of distancing himself from the worldwide war Kazama started, it still continues between him and Kazuya. That devil remains the head of the G Corp" Shaheen explained.

"You seem to have some resentment towards Kazuya. Did he do something to you?" Zafina asked him.

Shaheen nodded his head in return. "He killed one of my friends, who was the owner of a company in the oil industry. Considering that the Zaibatsu gained access to the oil industry through the Rocherfort Enterprises, the G Corp wanted the same thing. And as a result, my friend's company became its target" the young man revealed grimly.

"I understand. You have my deepest sympathy" Zafina expressed her remorse towards Shaheen, something she rarely did. "It would appear that the world may not be safe as we thought it was. How long will it take before the Mishimas stop using the world was their playground?" the young woman asked him.

"I also desire to find the answer. As a matter of fact, we will need from someone who understand how to fight demons" Shaheen said while pushing the button again. This time, the hologram showed them a map of Italy and two pictures emerged alongside it. The first one was that of a young man with slick black hair. The other one was of a group of exorcists that wore pointy masks, almost like beaks. They closely resembled doctors during the Black Death. "We will travel to Italy and visit these: the Archers of Sirius" Shaheen revealed to them.

"The Archers of Sirius…I thought they were only rumors that existed across the Mediterranean" Zafina remarked, as the young woman had indeed heard about those exorcists before. "They must have resurfaced now, because of the ongoing battle in the world" the young woman added.

"Yes. Since Heihachi reclaimed leadership of the Zaibatsu, he has sought the aid of these exorcists, as a means to paint themselves as a champion of humanity against a demon like Kazuya. But my sources tell me there may be other motives for reaching out to the Archers of Sirius" Shaheen told her before focusing his attention on the young man in the hologram. "This young man leads the Archers of Sirius: Claudio Serafino. I have met him a couple of times before. A charming man, but there is something mysterious about him" he then went on to tell Zafina about the leader of the exorcist.

"I see. So where do we find the Archers of Siruis and this Claudio Serafino?" Zafina asked him. "From what I gather, they are a secretive society that has exerted a profound influence on European history for hundreds of years" she added.

"They have secret base somewhere in Rome, Italy. But some of my sources tells me that their base is rather close to the Vatican. I will find out once we reach there" Shaheen said before reaching out a hand to Zafina. "Now the only thing I am asking of you as whether we can trust one another. How about a handshake to strengthen our partnership? We may have much in common than what you realize" the young man suddenly told her.

Zafina was hesitant at first, but she couldn't deny how honest Shaheen had been to her so far. Smiling, the Egyptian woman held his hand, and the two shook hands. This would be the beginning of a partnership between two usually calm individuals.

 _To be continued…_


	2. A New Ordeal

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Part 2: A New Ordeal**

 _Somewhere underneath the UN Headquarters, New York City, USA_

This secret underground base was only known to members of the UN's intelligence bureau. All those representatives who came to this building each year had no idea that there existed such in the United Nations. These top-secret agents were known to secretly enforce the UN's policies, especially when it came to disobedient presidents, prime ministers or dictators. It was all part of keeping the world safe under the UN's principles.

Inside what appeared to be a hospital room, one of this bureau's agents were now lying on a bed. He was a black-skinned man with shaved blonde hair. His trademark appearance was the x-formed scar that ran across his face. It was the mysterious agent called Raven. From the looks of it, he was about to awaken. He groaned while rubbing his face slightly.

"That's the last time I jump from a helicopter and onto the sand" Raven said, still feeling dizzy. As soon as he stopped rubbing his face, Raven could see the sunglasses lying on his lap. He immediately took them. "Thank God my glasses are okay. These lights sure are too bright for my weary eyes to handle" he said while putting on his sunglasses.

"Is that what's worrying you most?" Raven snapped as he quickly turned to the right to see where that familiar female voice was coming from.

The agent gasped as he could see who was standing a few feet from his hospital bed. It was a black-skinned woman with faded scars across her face, who wore her dark brown and blonde hair in dreads gathered into a very long ponytail, leaving three bangs in front of her face, while she had shaved the sides and bottom of the rest of her hair. Her choice of attire was also recognizable to Raven, as it was similar to his. This woman wore a dark-colored bodysuit, covered by pauldrons, gauntlets, a faceplate, greaves, a flat blue muffler. In addition, she carried a ninja sword on her back.

The young woman smirked as Raven glanced at her. "Long time no se…Raven" she told him with a hint of mockery in her voice.

"Master Raven…" Raven uttered out the codename of the woman, whose was similar to his. He then began looking around. "So that means I'm back at HQ?" he questioned her.

"What kind of question is that? Of course, you're back at HQ. Did you think that we had placed you in some kind of fancy hotel in the Caribbean?" Master Raven rebuked her subordinate.

"I was only speaking metaphorically" Raven stated before removing his blanket to see whether he still had some injuries. To his surprise, he had none. "The injuries seem to have healed. How long was I asleep?" he asked the woman.

"You were asleep for two days" she told him while starting to pace around in the room for a bit. "When we got word of you being caught up in an explosion in the Middle East, we immediately started searching for you. We found you lying unconscious in the dunes. The injuries you received weren't that serious, though" Master Raven recalled the day she and some of the other agents were searching for him in the Middle East.

Raven weakly nodded his head in return. "I see. Well that explains a lot. I never thought I was actually gonna make it out alive" he admitted to her.

Master Raven suddenly turned around and approached her subordinate with her arms folded. From the look on her face, she seemed quite determined to ask her about something. "Tell me, Raven. Based upon our intelligence, you weren't alone on that helicopter along with those rebels from he Tekken Force. Who were you with?" she asked him directly.

Realizing he could no longer hide anything from his superior, Raven sighed deeply and was prepared to answer her with full honesty. "Kazama…Jin Kazama…." Raven mentioned the name belonging to the former CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu.

Master Raven's eyes widened in astonishment. "So it's true. He…won the fight against Azazel….and defeated him. Incredible" she noted in astonishment.

Raven nodded his head as a yes. "Yes. A couple of days after he fought that demon, me and some of the Tekken Force rebels discovered Jin lying unconscious in the sand. We knew that the G Corporation would be searching all over the Middle East for him so we had to take him someplace safe. We would take him to leader of these rebels: Lars Alexandersson" Raven began explaining what he had been through with regards to this mission. "But while we flew the helicopter across the desert, something happened to Jin. He awoke, but not as himself. The demon inside him had awakened as well. He started a rampage, tore a hole in the helicopter and then flew off. And that's where I ended up falling down" he then concluded the story he had to share with his superior.

"I see. Quite a story you tell me, Raven" Master Raven admitted, while having some hints of concern for him. "But that said, Jin is still out in the world, probably in hiding. Our sources in Saudi Arabia told us that Jin was seen in a town called Souq. He was on the verge of getting captured by Arabian soldiers hired by the G Corp, until he was saved by this man you know: Lars Alexandersson. What happened next, we have yet to find out" she then went on explaining what she knew, give that Raven had been bedridden for a couple of days.

"You don't say. Well, if Jin is with Lars, then I assure you he's in safe hands. But a long time has passed since the last King of Iron Fist Torunament ended, of course" Raven noted to himself.

For some reason, Master Raven glared daggers at Raven, and the young man could see that. "Don't forget, Raven. Jin Kazama may have saved humanity by defeating Azazel, but that does NOT mean he's pardoned for his previous crimes while being the Zaibatsu's head" she sternly reminded him.

Hearing this forced Raven to nod quickly. "You're absolutely correct. I never said that in order to trivialize Jin's actions. But now that he's in a vulnerable position, he will become an easy target for those madmen who desire power, among them Kazuya Mishima" the young man pointed out to his superior.

"Kazuya Mishima…..the CEO of the G Corporation" Master Raven noted grimly while thinking about the man. She then grabbed a newspaper that lied on Raven's nightstand and showed him a picture of Heihachi Mishima. "And things couldn't have gone more complicated. Heihachi Mishima has now regained control of the Zaibatsu. As much as that man tries to deny he's uninterested in war, he's not good in showing it. The war that began as a means to awaken and slay a demon, has now evolved into a war between two madmen desiring world domination" she told Raven.

Raven looked at the picture of Heihachi waving his hands to what appeared to be reporters and diplomats. "Some messed up family the Mishimas really are. If only we could learn more about them" he said.

Hearing this forced Master Raven to smile. "Which is what our next mission is all about" she said while throwing away the newspaper and holding up a picture for Raven to see. It was a face someone Raven recognized. "I take it you recognize this man. We are to assist Interpol with researching more about the Mishima clan. He will be our help: Detective Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police" she informed of who they would be working with.

"Lei Wulong. I haven't seen him since the last tournament" Raven noted while looking at the picture. "But do you think we may learn something that could turn the tide against the ongoing war between Kazuya and Heihachi?" he then asked Master Raven.

She nodded her head in return. "The intel we gathered when you entered the King of Iron Fist Torunament 5 gave us some clues to the Mishimas, among them a terrible truth. The terrible truth that…the Mishima's cursed bloodline…...never began with the Mishimas in the first place" Master Raven revealed to her.

Hearing this made Raven filled with so many questions, as he couldn't believe what she was saying to him. Could that really be the truth? The cursed bloodline never had its roots with the Mishima clan at all? Something did not make sense to the agent.

"My head's almost starting to spin by listening to all this talk. But I'll do my best to keep myself updated as soon as we collect some info. When do we leave?" Raven asked his superior.

"We will depart for Hong Kong 12 hours from now. But until then, rest easy. You've earned it after all" Master Raven told Raven before heading towards the door, but not before looking over her shoulder to glance at him in a smug manner. "And once again, welcome back…...little brother" she told him before exiting the room.

This left Raven all by himself, as he was only annoyed of hearing the woman calling him that. He still couldn't believe why she did it. But then again, they were actually related to one another by blood.

* * *

 _In the Northern Pacific Ocean_

The helicopter containing Jin Kazama and his allies were currently flying over the Northern Pacific Ocean. Having narrowly escaped an assault by the G Corporation led personally by Kazuya, the gang were now on their way to the Pacific island were the Zaibatsu archive was presumed to be found. In other words, the group was safe, for now. But it was only a matter of time before Kazuya would pursue them through other means. Paul and Eddy were piloting the helicopter while Xiaoyu sat with Jin with Panda before them. Across the two friends sat Nina, King and Yoshimitsu.

"Do you think we're safe for now?" Xiaoyu suddenly asked those around her.

"That depends on whether we'll be able to avoid getting tracked by the G Corp. But then again, they will start searching for us across the Northern Pacific now that our hideout's compromised" Nina answered what she could.

"But at the very least, they have not sent helicopters after us. That means we are at least safe for the time being" Yoshimitsu said, although the swordsman was quickly focused on something else. "I can't believe Kazuya would go such lengths like hiring Bryan Fury to do his dirty work. That only demonstrates the kind of crook he really is" Yoshimitsu remarked while thinking about the cyborg working for Kazuya.

"You don't say. I'm just stunned by how Armor King would be willing to cooperate with his former captors to get back at me. It's troubling to even fight him" King said before he glanced out the window while thinking about his teacher's brother, the same teacher he had respected almost as much as his predecessor as King. "Damnit. What hell are you thinking? Has your grief poisoned you? Or has your vengeance tainted your sense of honor? Either way, I'm glad I'm nothing like you" King thought about the wrestler.

"Speaking of fighting, what's going on with you, Jin?" Xiaoyu asked her friend who sat beside her. "Why did you freeze instead of defending yourself?" she added another question.

Jin was still facing the deck, never looking at Xiaoyu once. "I just can't do this anymore. I can't fight" he told those around him.

Xiaoyu couldn't believe in those words. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked rhetorically.

"It means the kid's finally turned chicken and needs REAL MEN to protect him" the voice came from Paul who was looking over his shoulder.

"Phoenix" Nina sternly said to him, indicating that she didn't like the tone in Paul's voice.

"Okay, okay. Real men, women and…PANDAS. That better for ya?" Paul told them.

"You forget, there's only one panda with us" Eddy pointed out to him, yet Paul didn't seem to care.

"And you volunteered?" Xiaoyu asked both Paul and Eddy.

"To help a Mishima? You are way over your head, girly" he said to her.

"The only reason I'm here is because Heihachi throwing out my bedridden master out of the medical facility. Now I will need the money to pay for his medicines" Eddy responded to Xiaoyu

Nina had to raise an eyebrow when hearing their reasons. "You two sure have loft motives for coming with us on this trip" the blondie told them.

"SHUT UP!" both Eddy and Paul told her at the same time.

"They are being paid. Don't worry, you all are" Jin told them, the young man glancing out the window.

Xiaoyu watched him with a concerned glance. "I don't want your money, Jin" she told him.

"Then I'll take her share!" Paul than said out loud, much to the annoyance of those in the helicopter.

"Shut up, Paul!" Xiaoyu told him before refocusing her attention on Jin. "I just want you to talk to me, Jin. To tell me the truth" she told what she wanted from her schoolmate.

This made Jin turn around to glance at her, and his shocked Xiaoyu. He devilish teeth had not taken shape, and so had his eyes. "The truth? Are you sure you want to know? How the Devil inside me gets stronger every time I fight? Every time I even clench a fist?" Jin said as he had slowly started to lose control of his mind. But that did not mean he was transforming into his devil form. "Or do you want to know what would happen if it won, what it would do to you? What it would do to the entire world!?" Jin asked, feeling more distressed and angered as he said those words.

Nina immediately tried to restrain Jin. "Jin. You need to stop this. Now!" the blondie told her while trying to prevent his devil form of taking hold on him.

Hearing this made Jin quickly come back to his senses, and he knew that Nina spoke the truth. "Yes. I know" the young man said, acknowledging his need for controlling this demon inside him.

"I hate to interrupt your little freakshow, guys. But we've arrived!" Paul suddenly spoke to those behind him.

This made everyone glance out of the window to see this island they were currently descending towards: Usiyi Island. From the looks of it, it seemed to have a large jungle and there were mountains to be seen.

"Put us down there. At the jungle's open area" Nina told the two pilots.

"We're on it" Paul told her in return as he and Eddy steered the helicopter to dock on the ground beneath them.

Once they landed the helicopter, everyone got out, excluding Jin. He sat in the back seat rubbing his head to ease whatever pain was felt inside his mind. In the meantime, the group took their time to look around this jungle they had landed themselves in.

"Quite a jungle down there. It looks different from other Pacific Islands I've studied" King said as he observed the environment.

"Whatever, at least it's gonna be great getting some fresh air for now. Piloting this helicopter is such a great pain in the ass" Paul said although something hit in his head. "Now that reminds me, we need refuel it" he told his comrades.

"What? Did we really use that much fuel on the way here?" Eddy wondered as he kicked some sticks. "Droga. I told you should've brought some fuel with you while you were in Kyoto" the man with dreadlocks told Paul and Nina.

"How the hell was we gonna get hold of that? It's not like we can waltz into hangars of the Zaibatsu or the G Corp to get it. And we can't get it refueled at a normal gas station" Paul told him in return.

Eddy facepalmed when hearing this. "Idiota, you're not listening at all" the Brazilian man groaned.

Nina sighed when hearing the complaining about fuel, so she decided to step in and end this useless bickering. "Enough pouting. There are fuel cells in the archive we can use to refuel the helicopter. So quit worrying about that. Now let us decide who should go with me and who should stay here with the helicopter" she told them while briefly looking at Jin, who was still feeling unwell. "Yoshimitsu, King, you're with me. Gordo, Phoenix, Ling, stay with Jin. We'll be back as soon as possible" the blondie sternly told them before entering the jungle with the swordsman and the wrestler.

"Tch, great" Paul said while shrugging his shoulders. "Babysitting devil boy, how neat" he added sarcastically.

"Just shut up and do as you're told" Eddy told him, causing Paul to somewhat glare at him irritated.

Meanwhile, Jin was still feeling conflicted with his inner demon. Neither Paul not Eddy seemed to take notice of this, yet Xiaoyu did. The young girl could not help but to wonder whether she should've followed Nina, King and Yoshimitsu into the jungle. The thought about leaving the helicopter was tempting, especially since she was getting tired about hearing Paul's complaints. Xiaoyu looked at Panda, who only nodded at her friend in return.

Meanwhile, Nina, Yoshimitsu and King wandered through the jungle, with Yoshimitsu cutting some of the plants that stood in their way. But they eventually stumbled upon a stairway made of rock, which lead them to the hidden Zaibatsu archive. There were no one to be sighted, which only was good for Nina and her compatriots.

"There it is. That's the Zaibatsu archive we came here for" Nina told them and moved over to the keypad at the entrance. She began tapping on them while Yohsimitsu and King waited behind.

"And the codes Kazama left in the system?" the swordsman asked her.

"Should still work" Nina finished for him.

"Should? That sounds farfetched for you to say. I mean, hasn't Heihachi changed the codes since he reclaimed control of the Zaibatsu?" King remarked, yet Nina chose to ignore him and continued tapping on the keypad.

But the trio snapped once they could hear something move behind them in the jungle. Both King and Yoshimitsu quickly turned around to confront whoever that person was.

"We've been followed! Someone's trying to ambush us!" King yelled as he turned around and prepared himself for combat.

"Who goes there!?" Yoshimitsu demanded, only to stop moving his blade once he could see who it was.

The one who had followed them was Xiaoyu, the young girl raising her hands in the air in order to prove she was no attacker. "It's just me! I'm not trying to ambush anyone in particular! I just thought if you needed my help" she told them, while trying to ease their fears.

King facepalmed once he heard that. "Dios mío. Don't sneak up on us like that! We almost thought you were a Zaibatsu assassin or something" the wrestler rebuked the young girl as Yoshimitsu withdrew his blade.

Xiaoyu nervously smiled. "Well, I don't look like a Zaibatsu assassin to you, do I?" she asked them.

Nina sighed in irritation when seeing Xiaoyu. "Why are you here? I told you to stay with Jin" she said as the door opened, given that she had dialed the right code for the door. They all entered the archives, but first had to move through some sort of corridor.

"Don't worry, Panda and Eddy are with him. Besides, Paul kept telling me how great he is and all that stuff" Xiaoyu insisted while following the trio through the corridor.

"Hmmm…...figures" King remarked as he walked. They had now arrived in what appeared to be some sort of elevator.

"You should have taken his head. No one would have blamed you" Yoshmitsu told Xiaoyu, himself admitting to having grown tired of Paul and his irrationality. The elevator was now taking them downwards.

"Tempting but then I would've missed the chance to see…this!" Xiaoyu stopped as she was stunned to see where they had arrived at.

Although they were standing on a platform, they had now entered the Zaibatsu archive. So many things were stored in this underground facility. More or less, this almost looked like a storage room, except for the fact that it contained many experiments and artifacts not seen in the average storage rooms.

"So this is what a Mishima Zaibatsu archive looks like?" King himself was astounded by what he was seeing.

"Impressive" Yoshimitsu noted.

The group began searching the through the objects for what they came for. But in the meantime, they were also stunned to see what kind of things existed in the archive, which only those working under the Zaibatsu had knowledge of.

"Oh my gosh. Is this an Anti-Grav Platform?" Xiaoyu stuttered as she approached one of the containment glasses. The young girl smiled. "It really is! It's an Anti-Grav Platform!" she exclaimed with a high enthusiasm in her voice.

"How does that girl possess knowledge about such objects?" Yoshimitsu wondered as he himself kept observing the containment glasses.

"This is incredible" King remarked. "I never realized the Zaibatsu so into scientific researching" the wrestler added.

"Focus! Half the stuff down here shouldn't exist. The other half will kill you" Nina reminded them while holding up a tablet for her to find the artifact they were looking for. "We need to find what we came for and get out quickly" the blondie added to what their objectives here were.

"I think it was Artifact 333 or something?" Xiaoyu spoke up whole trying to remember the number. But she could see that Nina was already on ten steps ahead of her, as she stood before it.

"According to the manifest, it should be here. But it isn't" Nina revealed as she and the others could see there was nothing inside the capsule Artifact 333 was supposed to be in. It was opened. "Someone found it first" she added, while noticing a glowing white feather lying before the capsule. She reached down to pick it up.

"A white feather. What could this artifact possibly be?" Yoshimitsu wondered as he looked at what Nina picked up.

"Somehow, I think our "boss" is not being earnest with us in telling what that is. I fear he might have captured something dangerous that even he can't control" King expressed his opinions on the matter.

Before Nina could speak up her mind, an alarm suddenly went on. It kept repeatedly saying "Intruder" numerous times. "Damnit! The archives alarm! That doesn't sound good" she cursed under her breath.

"It doesn't look good either!" Xiaoyu told her compatriots as they all turned around to see who it was that had approached them. From the looks of it, they seemed to resemble someone both Xiaoyu and Yoshimitsu knew.

"What are these mechanical things?" King asked as he could see one of them activating chainsaws on her hands.

"These girls…...they look like Dr. Bosconovitch's deceased daughter" Yoshimitsu remarked from what he was seeing. "But they can't be Alisa Bosconovitch. There is only one!" the swordsman added to his explanation.

The one android who had activated her chainsaws began speaking to them. "Non-authorized personnel will be terminated immediately. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause" it said before launching an attack upon the gang of four.

* * *

 _Interpol's HQ Asian Division, Hong Kong, China_

Interpol had always headquarters to each of its continental divisions across the globe. In Asia, it was in Hong Kong. One of it's most famous members of that division was Detective Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police. He was more than just a cop. He also had great moves as a fighter, something which often made his colleagues think of him as a supercop. He also had a wise sense of justice, despite his whimsical tendencies.

Ever since the end of the King of Iron First Tournament 6, Lei's objective to capture and arrest Jin Kazama was put on hold. Nobody had heard from him in a long time and international media had already declared him to be deceased. But that did not mean Lei was given a holiday from his job. He had been dragged into a new ongoing case, one that revolved around the newfound conflict between Heihachi and Kazuya Mishima. It was about finding out the root behind all this conflict.

"This is becoming one heck of a headache to me" Lei noted as he sat by his computer. He then noticed a piece of paper lying on his desk. It was one of the clues investigators said was connected to the Mishima feud. He opened it up and read what was written on it. From what his superiors had told Lei, it was a letter written by a young boy to his father. Written in Japanese, it said: "Father, one day, I will tear you to pieces". For Lei, this seemed hardly like any letter a son would write to his father, unless the father and son involved in this scenario was Heihachi and Kazuya.

Indeed, this was the first letter that investigators said was written by a young Kazuya Mishima to his father. It was after Heihachi had thrown him off a cliff after defeating his son in combat. But Kazuya survived, and thus began the enmity between the two Mishimas. But investigators at Interpol had always wondered whether there was more to this story than a mere father and son feud. Lei himself had to admit he was curious to know that as well. But so far, they hadn't found more clues.

"It looks we gotta dig deeper if we wanna uncover whatever the Mishima feud is" Lei remarked before letting out a deep sigh.

But as he was resting, a knock suddenly came to the door and Lei wondered whether that was his boss or something. He told whoever it was to come in, as the door was open. Lei was in for a surprise, yet also relieved at the same time who it was that had entered his office. It was three individuals that Lei had kept in touch with for a long time. These people were the British boxer named Steve Fox, the Brazilian capoeira-fighter named Christie Monteiro and the Japanese girl named Asuka Kazama. All of them had dealings with Lei in the past, especially since he helped each of them in their respective cases.

"Steve, Christie, Asuka! I'm glad you're all here. I was getting tired of sitting by myself in the office" Lei told them happily.

"I could say the same thing to you, Lei. I still can't thank you enough for your help during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4" Steve told him.

Lei only waved his hand dismissively in return. "Nah, don't mention it. Getting myself dragged into mysteries is all part of being a cop" he said to him in return. Lei then turned his attention on the two young ladies. "I also remember helping your case with regards to giving you the identity of the one who trashed your father's dojo. Did you find Feng Wei, Asuka?" Lei asked her.

Asuka scratched the back of her head. "I can't say I have. That monster is a slippery one, escaping the moment I'm on his trails. But I'll find him soon enough. Nobody messes with the Kazama clan and get away with it!" the brunette told Lei.

The policeman nodded his head in understanding. He then turned his attention to Christie. "Christie, it's a good thing you came here. I have something to tell you. It's about Eddy Gordo and your grandfather" he revealed to her.

Hearing this caused Christie to gasp. "Eddy…what about him?" she asked about the man who had trained her in capoeira. "And my grandfather…how is he?" the young woman asked Lei.

"You see. Eddy Gordo joined the Mishima Zaibatsu in order for your grandfather to be treated in one of the Zaibatsu's medical facilities. It was while Jin Kazama was its CEO. In return for giving your grandfather the professional treatment, Eddy served in the Tekken Force as one of it's commanders. He was involved in the battlefields across the globe" Lei told Christie, who was only sad to hear all this.

"Eddy joined the Tekken Force….and participated in the war…..I can't believe he did that!" she said, the young woman being on the verge of breaking down in tears.

Lei put a hand on her shoulder, hopefully to comfort the young woman. "Do not give up hope yet, Christie. They're both alive, I'm certain of that" the Chinese man said before frowning a little. "That being said, Eddy has gone into hiding since Heihachi reclaimed control of the Zaibatsu. And my sources tell me your grandfather was transferred to another hospital in Japan. Thing is, I don't know which one" the policeman told her.

While Christie was sad for a moment, she soon began clearing those thoughts away from each other. "I think only Eddy knows where my grandpa is. But where did he go when Jin Kazama vanished? I really wish I knew the answer" she admitted.

"Jin Kazama. That smug-looking jerk is staining my family name!" Asuka said brashly while cracking her knuckles. "I swear, when I get my hands on that jackass, he'll be sorry he ever started that war!" she added with determination in her voice.

"So that guy was the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu, eh? And now that old bastard has repossessed it" Steve noted while stroking his left arm underneath the sleeve of his jacket. "They will pay for what they did to me, all of them!" the British man thought about the Mishimas.

Lei smiled at this before moving over to his desk. "Which is what we're exactly gonna do. Interpol has recently tasked me to help its investigation team with finding out the answers about the so-called Mishima feud. And since the three of you have started to take an interest in the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation, I've called for you to assist me. Think of it this way, helping me may also help you with what each of you desire" Lei informed them smugly.

Steve, Christie and Asuka were somewhat unsure about this. However, each of these people felt somewhat indebted to Lei since he helped them with their cases. Therefore, it was only natural to return the favor. But on the other hand, they could possibly find the answer they sought.

Steve was the first one to answer. "I'm in. Anything to escape the nightmare of unemployment. Most boxing tournaments have been cancelled due to the ongoing war, which I thought would end once Jin disappeared. Turns out nothing changed" the blonde-haired man explained why he was accompanying Lei.

"That's great to hear, Steve" Lei told him before glancing over to Christie and Asuka. "What about you, ladies?" he asked them.

"I'll tag along. I refuse to believe that Eddy's dead. Wherever he is, he has a lot to answer for, especially for what he did in the Tekken Force. And I also need to find out where specifically my grandfather is being treated. At this rate, I don't know whether he's dead or alive" Christie told Lei her reason for accompanying him.

Now it was Asuka's turn to answer. "I have no specific reason. Although I do wanna get my hands on Jin, as well as that bastard who trashed my father's dojo and hospitalized him. But then again, I could use journey outside. Being stuck in Osaka all day bores me sometimes" the young brunette told her reasons for going with Lei.

"I see. I am appreciative of you accompanying me. As a police officer, I promise that we'll make it out of this together" Lei told them before moving on to the next phase. "Now, we won't be searching for clues alone, of course. Apparently, Interpol has requested that a top-secret agency send two of it's best agents to assist me on this case. I don't know who these people are, but from what I gather, they're all hiding in the shadows, kicking buts, going undercover and….." Lei was suddenly interrupted when he could hear someone say his name.

"You are Detective Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police, correct?" a female voice could be heard not far from where he stood. After quick thinking, Lei and his friends realized that it didn't come from the room, let alone inside the building. Looking out the large window, they were stunned to see two people standing on a window cleaning platform. It was the two agents: Master Raven and Raven. "We've been expecting you" Master Raven told Lei with a smirk.

"WOAH! WHEN DID THEY…." Lei fell off balance from seeing this.

"Bloody hell! I didn't see them until now!" Steve cursed in disbelief.

"I think these two may be the agents you speak of, Lei" Christie told him.

"They really did a great job showing before us like that" Asuka noted.

Lei rubbed his face. "For crying out loud…." he groaned while getting up on his feet. "Seriously, you two almost scared me to death! Couldn't you have just used the door like everyone else? And how long have you been standing outside on that window cleaning platform?" the Chinese man asked them in a distressed mood.

"Long enough to hear you boast about us being all secretive, hiding in the shadows, going undercover and vice versa" Raven spoke up, wearing a serious frown as he did that.

Lei snapped when he recognized Raven, having met him briefly during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. "Oh, it's you" he said before scratching the back of his head nervously. "Look, about what I just said about you, please forget it. I really wasn't in the good mood and…" Lei was interrupted by Master Raven once again.

"Cut the smooth-talk. We're here to talk business. You do remember our objectives, correct?" Master Raven asked Lei, who quickly held up a file for her to see. She smiled when seeing the file in Lei's left hand. "Excellent. Then we can begin this mission. Normally, I would have refused to include someone else to go along with us. But still, these three you've brought here show some promise. You will accompany us as well, Steve Fox, Christie Monteiro and Asuka Kazama" the black-skinned woman told them.

"Since when did you learn our names!?" Christie demanded an answer out of them.

"Easy there, love. Considering they were able to appear outside without us noticing, it's only natural they would learn our names as well. They are spies after all" Steve tried to calm Christie.

"Okay. We're ready. Now where do we start?" Lei asked the agent duo.

"We're heading to Europe, or more specifically Monaco. We will brief you more on the stealth plane. It will take us there faster than what a normal plane can" Raven informed Lei and his gang about where they were going. "The stealth plane awaits us on the roof of this building. Go up there immediately" he told them and the window cleaning platform began moving upwards.

Lei sighed. "Come on, guys. Let's just get on with this" he told them and they all exited his office and went upstairs.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the jungle, the Philippines_

On a wooden platform in a preservation of resources and wildlife, a young woman could be seen training her kickboxing skills. This was Josie Rizal, once a part time model and part time kickboxer, now a member of the infamous Tekken Force. Josie had always desired to support her family, and she felt modeling was not enough. When Heihachi reclaimed control of the Mishima Zaibatsu and sought new recruits to the Tekken Force, Josie saw an opportunity to make more money by working for someone as rich as the Zaibatsu. Her parents were vehemently against it, given the many atrocities the Zaibatsu had committed by starting the worldwide war. Even so, Josie kept insisting it was the only way she could make more money for the family.

She had travelled to Japan and partaken in the examination of the recruits. To the surprises of many officers in the Tekken Force, Josie passed. It was unbelievable, given how prone she was to crying. Nevertheless, Heihachi himself welcomed her into the Tekken Force, and even placed her in the same squadron as his pet: Kuma. Josie was fearful of Kuma, but she couldn't lose her job at the Tekken Force. Therefore, she would have to deal with him being there, which she had yet to do.

"I'm glad that I made it into the Tekken Force, but a part of me still can't accept the fact that the leader of my squadron…...is a bear…..a freaking talking bear!" Josie said as she was taking a break from her training. "But I must hold my head up high. This is the only chance I get to earn so much money. My parents may not approve of it, but I'll do whatever it takes to help the family!" Josie said determined.

As the passion burned within the young woman, a phone suddenly rang and Josie searched her pockets to grab it. It was a special phone used by members of the Tekken Force. With it, the Zaibatsu's leadership could have direct contact with her. She pushed the button to answer the phone.

"Hello, this is Josie Rizal" Josie said, identifying herself to her new superiors.

" _Greetings, Mrs. Rizal. It is I, Heihachi Mishima_ " the booming voice of Heihachi could be heard.

Hearing him speaking, immediately made Josie jump in surprise. She had never expected to be directly contacted by the CEO himself.

"Mr. Mishima…..sir…what a surprise!" the young woman uttered slowly.

" _It is indeed, child. Forgive me if I am interrupting you or anything_ " Heihachi said through the phone.

"N-no…...nothing at all, sir. I'm all yours…...I m-mean ears!" Josie said, having problems saying the right words.

A deep chuckle could be heard through the phone. " _I admire your tenacity. As expected of my new recruits in the Tekken Force_ " Heihachi told her, something which made Josie almost cry out of joy. " _But I have reached out to you for a very particular reason. You see, I have a special mission for you. Therefore, I need you at the Tekken Force this instant_ " the old man told her.

Josie was surprised to hear this, yet also curious at the same time. "Alright. May I ask what that mission is about, sir?" the young woman gently asked her superior.

Even though she couldn't see him do that, Heihachi was now grinning to himself while being asked about this. " _I am glad you asked. Allow me to tell you_ " he said, with Josie listening carefully. " _As you may know, the Mishima Zaibatsu are still locked in a struggle against the G Corporation and its demented CEO. While I am confident that we can win this competition, I have grown suspicious over whether the G Corp is seeking help from an outside party. I now hear rumors about Tekken Force rebels and Violet Systems reaching out to them. I need you and my Tekken Force to infiltrate Violet System's HQ and apprehend its CEO: Lee Chaolan. You can handle that, can you?_ " Heihachi was done with the explanation and now wanted an answer out of Josie.

"Y-yes! I will! I'll return to Japan as quickly as possible!" Josie quickly responded to him.

Laughter could be heard through the phone once again. " _Fantastic! I can't wait to have you back in the ranks. I have even arranged for the Tekken Force to pick you up where you stand. The phone you were given can pinpoint your location after all. But I am glad you are taking up the challenge. Good luck, Mrs. Rizal_ " Heihachi wished her luck before he hung up.

This left Josie alone to reflect on what she just agreed to. Infiltrating Violet Systems and apprehend its CEO. Then there were also the Tekken Force rebels. While partaking in the examination, Josie had learned of two prominent Tekken Force members, who had each left the organization for a particular reason. Lars Alexandersson left it during Jin's rule while Eddy Gordo had left it recently after Heihachi had regained control. She couldn't help but to wonder why they did that. Was the Tekken Force really as dishonorable and terrorizing as the medias said they were? This was something Josie would have to find out herself.

Her thinking was interrupted once she heard the sound of a helicopter over hear. Looking up, she could see the helicopter the Zaibatsu had sent to pick her up. They even threw a ladder down for Josie to climb on. And thus, began her mission.

* * *

 _Inside a stealth plane, high above Africa_

Lei Wulong along with his comrades found themselves onboard a stealth plan which was moving quite fast in the air. Even by now, they were flying over Africa. But that said, it would take some time before they would arrive in Monaco. They sat on quite fancy chairs as both Master Raven and Raven stood before them while showing their plans on a giant screen.

"Okay, so we're going to Monaco. But for what reason?" Lei asked the two agents while Steve, Christie and Asuka sat and listened.

"It's about Rochefort Enterprises, a powerful Monegasque oil company. Well, it would appear that the head is now arranging a party at his mansion. It's the birthday party of his daughter: Emilie De Rocherfort" Master Raven explained while the screen behind the agents suddenly showed them a young blonde-haired girl dressed in white dress.

Asuka immediately moped when seeing who that was. "Ah, not her again!" she exclaimed in utter disbelief and annoyance.

"You know that little missy?" Steve asked her, causing Asuka to sigh in irritation.

"Some snobbish brat I beat during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5. Ever since that match, she's been constantly harassing me to have a rematch so that she can win. Heck, she even stalked me back in Osaka once" Asuka explained her history with Emilie De Rochefort, commonly known as Lili.

Lei had to smile at her. "Well, I guess she'll be happy to see you" the police officer jokingly said, much to Asuka's irritation.

"But hold on just a minute" Christie said while facing the agent duo. "For what reason do we have for attending a birthday party?" she asked them.

"Apparently, Mr. Rochefort has invited powerful people to that party. The CEO of the G Corporation Kazuya Mishima will be there, as will other key people close to him" Raven revealed grimly.

This stunned Lei and his compatriots. "Kazuya...attending there?" Lei wondered in disbelief.

"We have yet to find out why, but we suspect that Rochefort Enterprises is seeking an ally to free their oil fields from the Zaibatsu's control. Oil production is important for the company's survival" Raven told them. "However, while in Monaco, we will split. You four will attend the party while gather information, while me and my partner will infiltrate the Rochefort Enterprises' corporate HQ" he then revealed.

"Woah. So, you're going to do the infiltration there? Not that I have anything against it, of course" Steve remarked.

"You will also be doing some spying at the party. As we told you, Kazuya will be there. And the fact that famous celebrities such as you and Lei will attend the party only helps you mingle in the crowd" Master Raven pointed out what their motives was. She then held out something which resembled golden beaker. "And during the party, Kazuya and his associates will have a secret meeting somewhere in the Rochefort Mansion. We need you to find the room where the meeting happens and plant this beaker before it begins. And believe me, this isn't just any ordinary beaker" the black-skinned woman informed them with a smirk.

"I see. That's a listening device, right?" Christie asked them. She couldn't help but to be amused. "Nice color. And its perfect for cover. All those guests at the party will only suspect that it's just a golden beaker belonging to the Rocheforts" the Brazilian woman said, starting to get a hold on what their plan was.

"Alright. So we'll be attending the party and plant that device, what about you two? I mean, what do you hope to find in the corporate HQ?" Asuka asked them.

The screen behind the two agents changed once again, and it showed them some files which looked important from the outside. "Considering that the G Corp will assist Rochefort Enterprises, they have begun sharing important details, including what their future plans may be" Master Raven revealed to them, as she and Raven glanced at the files. "The file is presumably lying in Mr. Rochefort's office, which we will find once we're there" Master Raven added with what they would be doing on their part of their mission.

"While we do that, we expect you to do your part. We're all in this together. Never forget that" Raven reminded Lei and his compatriots. "Me and my partner assure you that what you do at the mansion, will benefit us all, especially those who seeks an end to this global conflict" the agent with sunglasses then assured the group.

In response, the group of four smiled at them. "Well, I guess we can't argue with that logic. Especially with me being a policeman and all" Lei remarked at Raven's words. "But then again, this is something Interpol really wants us to do. So there's no going back now. We go to Monaco, and see what clues we can find" the Chinese man told this to Steve, Christie and Asuka.

 _To be continued…_


	3. Celestial Guidance

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Part 3: Celestial Guidance**

 _In a place called "Duomo di Sirio", Rome, Italy_

The Saudi Arabian fighter Shaheen and the Egyptian assassin Zafina, had arrived in Rome, Italy. Now that they were there, they began their objective: to find the Arches of Sirius and their leader: Claudio Serafino. Shaheen seemed to know the location of their HQ, given that he had met their leader a couple of times. After speaking to some locals, the two fighters discovered that the HQ of the Archers of Sirius: Duomo di Sirio, was located somewhere between the Vatican and Rome. It was a giant and imposing cathedral. They entered the door, only to arrive in a grand hall with it's style inspired by European architecture, particularly those of cathedrals where Catholicism were practiced. Ornate statues adorned the walls and the floor was a polished marble.

Zafina had to be amazed from seeing this. "I have never seen anything like this in my life. Such marvelous designs" the dark-haired woman remarked while slowly walking.

"Impressive, yes. But I have seen mosques more spectacular than this place" Shaheen spoke up his mind.

Zafina had to smirk when hearing this. "I guess you are right. As fancy as this place may seem, it does not match the pyramids in terms of wonders" she told him, which forced Shaheen to chuckle to himself.

"You are a charming lady, Zafina. Perhaps I can learn something from you" the Saudi Arabian man told her.

But as they kept walking in the hallway, both Arabian fighters stopped as they could see bullets heading towards them. They quickly dashed backwards, avoiding getting hit by the bullets. Once they landed on their feet, Shaheen and Zafina were in for a surprise. The ones who had fired were man dressed in white clothes and capes. In addition to that, they wore beaked masks that resembled those worn by doctors during the Black Death. Right now, they were aiming their pistols at the duo.

"It seems to me we have found them. Or more specifically, they have found us" Shaheen remarked.

A couple of them were trying to launch a surprise attack on them by jumping from the big pillars in the cathedral. But unfortunately for them, Shaheen and Zafina caught wind of them and avoided their attack before kicking them and punching them. Neither of the Arab fighters resorted to using their weapons, as they thought it was unnecessary.

"So, these are the Archers of Sirius? Quite an odd display of outfits" Zafina expressed her opinion of these exorcists. The exorcists with the guns were once again prepared to fire at them. "However, they don't seem to be happy that we entered their home" she added.

Shaheen shrugged his shoulders in return. "I do not wish to harm these people, but I will fight if I must" the young man said while readying his fighting stance. "Listen, Archers of Sirius. I am only a humble man seeking an audience with your leader. Lover your weapons, or I will use force to stop you" he tried to warn them, yet the exorcists didn't seem to follow.

Feeling somewhat offended that Shaheen had warned them, the exorcists were about to pull their triggers, only for a voice to make them hold their fire. "Basta!" the young voice said in Italian. All the exorcist looked up behind them to see someone arriving at the edge of the upper deck above them. It was a young man with slick black hair, dressed in white clothes. What was also noticeable was his right arm covered in black bandages. The young man smiled smugly at who had come to visit. "Honestly, can't you tell the difference between Tekken Force troops and people not affiliated with them? Perdinci! The masks must make you blind to what you see" he told his subordinates.

Shaheen and Zafina lowered their guard and looked at the young man walking down the stairs towards them. "It took you long enough to show up, Claudio Serafino. I take it you still remember me" Shaheen told him while addressing the young man by his name.

"Of course, I do. How else can forget the infamous desert eagle that strikes down upon its prey?" Claudio told him in return. "But then again, it's been a long time since we last talked, Shaheen of Saudi Arabia" he then remarked.

Zafina had so far only glanced at the Italian man with narrowed eyes. She was not sure about whether this man could be trusted or not. Her eyes glanced directly into his. Claudio smiled as he finished the stairs so he could get a closer look at who she was.

"I see you have brought a visitor with you. But unfortunately, I can't seem to remember her name. What is your name, signora?" Claudio asked her.

After a couple of seconds, Zafina spoke up. "I am called Zafina. That is all you need to know" the Egyptian woman told him without so much as a smile on her lips.

Despite this, Claudio seemed to be impressed by her personality. "So, your name is Zafina? Bellissimo. It suits someone as beautiful and cunning as you" the young exorcist complimented her.

"I don't know whether I should I be offended or flattered by that comment" Zafina sternly quizzed him, yet Claudo shrugged it off with a laugh.

But the exorcist stopped doing that once Shaheen made a coughing sound. "Anyway, I apologize for not letting you know of our arrival in advance. But times have become so dire that we desperately needed to see you" the Saudi Arabian man told him,

"Hmm, you don't say. But then again, you are not the first one to have come here telling me this" Claudio revealed to them.

Both Shaheen and Zafina were wondering what he was talking about. "Wait. You mean that….." Zafina was interrupted when Claudio turned around and walked up the stairs.

"I would prefer if we had this talk over some tea. I have not been quite myself for the last couple of days. So, what do you say we do that? I invite you to a cup of tea as honorary guests" Claudio told them with a smile before facing his subordinates. "Fratelli, té ora!" he commanded them and they did that without hesitation.

Feeling obliged to know more from Claudio, the two Arab fighters agreed and followed him upstairs. They were all currently sitting in a room which was filled with marble. Claudio was sitting on a white couch facing Zafina and Shaheen across the table. They were also sitting on a white couch. Shaheen had even taken off his shemagh, thus exposing his brown hair. So far, they all seemed to enjoy the tea.

"I apricate your hospitality, Claudio. This tea of your is also good. Almost as good as the tea back home" Shaheen complimented him.

"I am glad you find it to your liking. Truth be told, I would really like to go to Saudi Arabia someday" Claudio told him before letting a deep sigh. "But with what has happened recently, such trips will have to wait" he added.

"Who did you say visited you the other day?" Zafina asked him.

Claudio was sipping from his cup before putting it down, facing him. "Heihachi Mishima and his Tekken Force lapdogs. They entered our cathedral and attacked my brothers. Heihachi demanded that the Archers of Sirius pledge themselves to the Zaibatsu in their damn war" Claudio began recalling the day Heihachi had fought him and won. His visitors sat and listened carefully. "I had numerous times declined his invitations and insisted we archers be neutral in this petty conflict. But we kept insisting we had a common enemy against the G Corporation and the Devil: Kazuya Mishima. I tried to fight him, but to my shame, I lost" he then recalled how he was beaten.

"Heihachi Mishima…." Shaheen remarked while thinking about the man who was heading the Zaibatsu. "That man is no ordinary human. I gather he has the strength of a demon. In a way, it makes no difference between him and Kazuya" the humble man told him.

"On this, I could not agree more. My loss to that pazzo still haunts me. But in the end, I had no choice but to ally myself with the Zaibatsu. But that does not mean I approve of it. Heihachi only wants me and my brothers onboard so he can convince the world he is a champion of humanity" Claudio said while feeling embittered over losing to Heihachi.

Zafina, who had to begin with acted rather cold towards him, started showing signs of sympathy for Claudio. She put her cup down. "I grieve for your position, Claudio Serafino. Hopefully, you will find a way to break free of him" the Egyptian assassin said reassuringly.

Hearing this made Claudio smile at Zafina. "I appreciate your sympathy, signora. It lifts my spirits" he told her before putting down his cup as well. "Which reminds me, while the Archers of Sirius will play along with the Zaibatsu, we will also be doing our own thing" he then revealed to them cunningly.

"What do you mean by that?" Shaheen asked the exorcist.

"Apparently, Heihachi Mishima has something in his possession that we believe can end this war. A power which rivals that of the Devil" Claudio told them smugly. "While we are with the Zaibatsu, we will infiltrate their Research and Development Center in Tokyo, Japan and free that weapon of theirs. Neither Heihachi nor his son shall have possession of it" he said in a determined mood.

"If I may ask, what is this so-called power you speak of? Care to fill us in on what it is?" Zafina asked him, only for Claudio to put a picture on the table. It's back was showing them, so the two Arab fighters would have to move it in order to see it clearly.

Shaheen grabbed the picture and held it up for him and Zafina to see. The moment they saw who it was, they both gasped in utter disbelief. "By Allah…this cannot be….." Shaheen could not believe what he was seeing on the picture.

"But how…how can he do something like this?" Zafina asked, feeling outraged. "How long as he been keeping it in his grasp?" she asked Claudio.

"Unfortunately, I do not know the answer. But from what the sources tell me, it was not Heihachi who had it from the beginning. They say it was Jin Kazama who had captured it and kept it hidden in an archive somewhere in the Pacific Ocean" Claudio informed them. "But my guess would be that when Heihachi reclaimed control of the Zaibatsu, he learned of its existence and moved out to claim it for himself. Either way, that thing must not remain in the Zaibatsu's hands, and neither in the G Corp's" the exorcist informed them.

"This cannot go on! We must do something!" Shaheen said and looked at Claudio. "Claudio, would you mind taking us with you to Japan, or more specifically the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ?" the Saudi Arabian man asked him.

"Bene. You see, I was exactly going to ask you about that. How would you like to secretly accompany me as both guests of honor and as my friends with benefits?" Claudio asked them.

Hearing this made Shaheen smirk in return. "Hmm, I never thought you would say that. But I appreciate your offer" he told her.

"As do I" Zafina told them. "But how about you be a more specific in how we are to be your guests of honor and friends with benefits?" Zafina asked him.

"Bensì. If you insist, signora" Claudio told them.

* * *

 _Inside a Mishima Zaibatsu archive, Usiyi Island, Northern Pacific_

Having entered the secret archive, only to find the artifact they came for gone, Nina Williams, Ling Xiaoyu, Yoshimitsu and King were forced to deal with the archives alarm. Right now, waves of androids closely resembling Alisa Bosconovitch were raining down upon them. Yet each of these fighters were able to hold on their own. Nina herself could see that, although a part of her would have preferred if Jun had just relied on her and Eddy instead of recruiting so many fighters to assist him.

Xiaoyu was feeling quite reluctant fighting those androids. "Alisa, you don't have to do this. We're friends, remember" she plead to one of them.

"None of these knockoffs are Alisa Bosconovitch, Ling. It would seem that Mishima Zaibatsu have been busy lately" Nina told her before ripping apart one of the androids. "The G Corporation has the JACKs. It looks like Heihachi wants his own robot army. Obviously, these must be prototypes" the blondie told them while watching the scrap she had made.

Yoshimitsu was clashing with one of the android's chainsaws. "I see. Why am I not surprised that someone so dishonorable as Heihachi Mishima would exploit the doctor's work for his own benefit" the swordsman said before winning the clash with the android. "But if he wishes to make his own counterpart to the JACKs, then let us see if they are fit for purpose. This will be quality control!" Yoshimitsu said and managed to slice off the android's head.

The head fell off the body. "Your assistance is appreciated" the head said before her body kicked the head so that it hit straight in Yoshimitsu's. "Killing you will be a fascinating test of my abilities" the android said.

King was having his hands full of those androids, yet he was successful. "Coño! These androids keep pouring upon us! Is there no limit to them!?" the wrestler asked while punching through one of the charging androids in the stomach.

"Just focus on the destroying these things instead of figuring out their limit!" Nina told him while using one of the androids' broken arms to slice another one. "This is why I don't like working in teams" she muttered to herself while slicing off the android.

But the group of four felt slightly overpowered by these androids. But that was until somebody came charging through a line of them. They all turned back to see who it was and was stunned. It was none other than Paul Phoenix, riding on Panda. This was something they had never excepted to see. But they weren't alone as Eddy and Jin soon accompanied them, with Eddy joining the fight against the androids.

"Watch out! Cavalry coming through!" Paul exclaimed as he got off Panda to start fighting their mechanical foes.

"You sure took you time" Xiaoyu remarked while kicking one of the android's faces.

Paul only grinned in return. "Well, that's weird. I thought you said back I Kyoto you didn't need rescuing" he told her while punching an android through it's stomach.

"I was talking to Panda!" she snapped at him, yet Paul did not seem to care.

"Concentrate! As much as I hate to admit it, Phoenix has provided us with an advantage. Let's use it!" Nina reminded everyone.

"Tch, thanks for the reminder, Captain Obvious" King noted sarcastically before swinging one of his opponents away.

"Jin's also with us. But he insisted that he not fight" Eddy revealed to them as some of the fighters could see Jin heading towards one of the computers.

Yoshimitsu saw him. "Why won't you help us dismantle these clockwork harpies?" the swordsman asked Jin.

"I can't fight! I must not!" Jin insisted while heading towards the computer.

But the young man had one of the androids coming after him and she was now blocking his way. "I have glad you have chosen not to take up arms, Jin Kazama. It will make eviscerating you so much easier" the android said while trying to attack Jin with the chainsaws, only for the Japanese man to dodge it.

Anger and frustration slightly took over Jin's body. "I said…NO!" Jin yelled as he punched through the android's head, slowly giving in to his demonic rage. He was stunned over what he just did.

"That felt good, didn't it? The way her circuits popped against your knuckles? It is who you are, who you were born to be!" the Devil inside him told him, forcing Jin to get into conflict with his inner self. "You can't simply escape from me. Where you go, I go. We are one and the same, Jin. Always have been, always will be" the dark voice called out to him once again.

The Japanese man was having enough of this. "Shut up! I'm not listening to you again! I will forge my own destiny" Jin yelled and freed himself from this pain. He made way to the computer, facing the screen so that it would identify him. "Computer, do you recognize my voice? Please identify me" Jin told the computer.

" _You are Jin Kazama. You do not have the correct authorization_ " the computer told him, causing Jin to feel slightly distressed.

"We'll see about that. Override Kazama 06-02-17" he then uttered out the codename in hopes of gaining access to the computer.

" _Authorization code recognized_ " the computer said, much to Jin's relief and satisfaction.

"Finally. Now tell me where Artifact 333 has been taken?" Jin asked the computer.

" _Honmaru Protocol initated. Lockdown on progress_ " the computer told, much to Jin's shock.

"What? But I only asked you where….." Jin was interrupted when something began transporting in the archive.

The only entrance to the archives were shut down. As such the group were now locked inside the archives with no other exit in sight. "Merda! We're trapped in here!" Eddy cursed as he saw the door getting shut.

"This doesn't look good" Xiaoyu stated as she also noticed it.

But as if getting trapped inside wasn't enough, something else happened in the archives. " _Commence sterilization_ " the computer said ad some form of gas was now being activated.

"It doesn't sound good either! Look!" Paul said as he looked up to see the gas coming.

"What in the hell is that!?" King asked out loud as he saw the gas.

"It's poison gas. Don't breathe it in!" Nina told them as she was trying to help Jin on his feet.

"Ya think? I'm glad you're here, blondie. With brains like yours there's no way we can lose" Paul complimented her, although Nina simply chose to ignore his words.

"Worry about that later! How are gonna out of here!?" Eddy asked angrily while covering his mouth and nose.

"Quit griping and get on" Xiaoyu suddenly called out to them, as she had managed to snatch out the Anti-Gravity Platform.

"The Anti-Gravity Platform? You cannot be serious" Yoshimitsu told her.

Xiaoyu was feeling underappreciated, yet she was concentrating on activating the Anti-Gravity Platform. "Well, it's better than nothing. Does anybody else have better alternatives? I didn't think so. Now hold onto your stomachs!" she said while tapping on the buttons.

" _Activating forcefield_ " the machine said and a forcefield was activated around the platform now.

"Well, at least we're safe from the gas. That's a plus" King remarked while looking at Xiaoyu. "Now all that remains is getting out of this place" the wrestler told her.

"I'm on it. But this might get bumpy!" Xiaoyu told her while tapping on some buttons.

"What do you mean by….UAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Eddy was interrupted and yelled, as did the others, when Xiaoyu began flying the Anti-Gravity Platform.

They crashed through the door and out the archives and right up into the air, so high above the island itself. The platform was fast and they were above the jungle in no time. The group would also try to hold onto the platform, trying not to lose grip on it.

"Dios mío! We're already THAT high above the island!?" King exclaimed in disbelief while lying on Panda.

"Woah! How did ya learn to fly this thing, kid?" Paul asked Xiaoyu, astounded by how someone at her age could steer the Anti-Gravity Platform.

"Who said I did? I just pressed all the buttons and hoped for the best" Xiaoyu told Paul while everyone else listened to her.

"You mean you don't know how to get us down?" Yoshimitsu asked her, only for the platform to be heading downwards, much to everyone's shock.

"Down isn't a problem! Grab hold of something!" Xiaoyu told them as she was losing control of the platform.

"You're telling us this now! Caralho!" Eddy cursed as they were heading down towards the jungle.

The group crashed onto the ground and the Anti-Gravity Platform was damaged as a result. All the members landed safely, yet some were still struggling to get on their feet. They had just narrowly escaped death and were hoping for a break from all these traps.

Paul had barely begun raising up, yet he was suddenly tried being hugged by Panda. "Enough of the bea…panda hugs, eh cuddles? We're safe now" Paul told her, realizing how Panda was just feeling relieved over being alive. But Paul could feel slight pain in his behind. "Ouch. I'm pretty sure I broke my ass, but other than that, I'm fine" he then said to himself.

"That was close. No way that archive was gonna be the end of me" King noted as he slowly got up.

"The feeling's mutual" Eddy said, agreeing with King's sentiment.

"Where is Nina?" Jin asked as he had just gotten up on his feet.

"Don't worry, I'm here" Nina told him as she approached him with severed head of the androids they had fought in the archives. "And I brought you a present. Don't say I never give you anything" the blondie told her firmly.

"Hmm…still has loyal to him as she's ever been" Eddy noted to himself while brushing off the dirt on his leather jacket. "But anyway, where do we go now?" the man with dreadlocks asked Jin.

"We head back to the helicopter. I need to get on my computer and analyze this thing. From the looks of the trap we encountered, someone was indeed in the archive before us, and I only have one suspect I can point to" the Japanese man told everyone.

"Let me guess, your dear ol' grandpa?" Paul quizzed him.

"Unfortunately, yes. He must have gotten knowledge of Artifact 333 after reclaiming control of the Mishima Zaibatsu. But the only question that remains is where he's keeping it" the young man wondered.

"You know, it would've been a hell of a lot easier if you just told us what that artifact is. But I seem to have found some clues on what it really is you're hiding" Nina said while holding up the glowing feather she picked up from the archives.

"A feather?" Paul asked her confused.

Nina rolled her eyes in return. "Not just any feather, dimwit! It's feather belonging to somebody powerful. One whose powers is equal to that of the Devil himself" she told him before facing Jin. "Your cover's been blown up, Jin. Unless you wanna tell them, I will happily do that for you" Nina dared him.

Sighing deeply in defeat, Jin confessed that he would need to be more honest than usual. "Very well. Since we narrowly escaped death. I guess letting you in on a little secret would be fine as compensation. Alright, I will tell you. But as I do that, NONE of you are to let anybody else know. That will be my condition on telling you this" Jin told everyone.

This time, no one spoke up a word as Jin Kazama was finally telling the truth behind this Artifact 333 and what it really was.

* * *

 _The Rochefort Mansion, Monaco_

Lei Wulong, Steve Fox, Christie Monteiro and Asuka Kazama were now arriving outside the mansion belonging to the influential Rochefort family. A birthday party was being held for the oil baron's daughter: Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort. Yet despite this, she had not been involved with what guests were invited. And Lili was not known to have any particular friends. Nevertheless, Mr. Rochefort had invited some of the most powerful people to his mansion, among them the G Corporation.

In the limousine, Lei and his compatriots were dressed as formal as they could possibly get. They all wore dresses for the evening, with Lei wearing a pink dress, Steve wearing a teal dress, Asuka wearing a blue dress and Christie wearing a green dress. They all looked out the window to see the entrance of the mansion.

"Alright, guys. This is it. We enter the mansion, mingle ourselves in and find where specifically the meeting between Kazuya and Mr. Rochefort will take place. But be on your guard for anything suspicious" Lei informed his friends.

Asuka slumped her head in defeat. "I'm not enjoy this" she mumbled. "Lili will definitely become a headache for to once we see each other" the Japanese girl added.

"But we best not get ourselves into trouble here" Christie advised her friends. "We can't risk getting compromised in our mission. Master Raven and Raven have trusted us with this mission" she pointed out.

Steve smiled when hearing this. "Well said, love. Now then, how about we stop chatting here and start getting frisky with whoever's at that party? I can't wait to charm those boxing fans" the blonde-haired man suggested.

Lei chuckled in return. "Let's see who's got the swagger between us?" he told him.

The door to the limousine's lounge was opened by the security guard who had accompanied them. He waited until they were all out, even helping the ladies out in the process. The group of four found themselves standing on a red carpet and it lead them all the way up the stairs to the mansion's entrance. There had been many decorations here, especially around the fountains. It was wonderful to say at least. Once they arrived at the mansion's entrance, they stopped once they could see two security guards watching over. However, somebody was welcoming the guests who had arrived. He seemed to be some kind of butler.

"Okay. Remember guys, play it cool" Lei reminded his friends one more time before they approached the butler

The butler, who had white hair and wore some glasses, smiled at seeing Lei and his group arrive and he stepped forward to greet them, first reaching out a hand to Lei.

"Ah. Bienvenue Monsieur Lei Wulong. I must admit, I am pleased to see a policeman from Interpol attending this party as one of the guests. It makes me feel more comfortable being" the butler greeted him with respect while Lei shook hands with him.

"The honor is mine, sir. I appreciate you know of my reputation, Monsieur…." Lei said while feeling slightly confused at what to say.

The butler bowed his head in a formal manner. "Call me Sebastian. I am the Rochefort family's butler, as well as personal caretaker of Madame Lili" he introduced himself. Sebastian soon took notice of the other guests Lei had brought with him. "Oh my, I see you have brought some friends with you, Monsieur Lei" he then noted.

"These people are acquaintances of mine. Someone whom I have worked with in the past. Since I'm not married or anything, I thought bringing them along would be just fine" Lei told him while coming with an excuse to why they were with him, although his compatriots were slightly dumbfounded by his reasoning.

Sebastian first got introduced to Steve and they both shook hands. "Greetings, sir. My name is Steve Fox, a professional boxer. I'm sure you've heard of me" the blonde-haired man told him.

"I have indeed, young man. You are one of the youngest boxers who has made it into world championship. I have watched your matches. Interesting moves you have in the ring" Sebastian told him, although Steve was stunned to know that a butler had taken interest in his boxing.

Moving on, Sebastian got the chance to meet Christie, the young woman smiling as friendly as she could.

"It's nice to know you, Sebastian. My name is Christie Monteiro and I come from Brazil. I look forward to see what this party has to offer. Gotta say, I like the decorations you've done out here" she introduced herself.

Sebastian was appreciative of her kindness. "Nice to know you too, young madam. And I can see that you are taking a liking to the decorations outside. But believe me, it is even better inside, croyez-moi" the butler told her and she proceeded to move over to greet Asuka. But before the young girl could even open her mouth to speak, Sebastian did that. "Sacré bleu! I cannot believe you have decided to come visit us, Madame Asuka Kazama" he said as he faced the butler.

"Eh, clearly there is some misunderstanding on your….." Asuka was interrupted when Sebastian spoke up.

"Oh goodness moi. I am glad that Madame Lili has made a friend, especially somebody who shares the same interest as her" the butler went on, feeling happy that Asuka would be visiting Lili.

The young brunette dropped her jaw in outrage. "Is he for real!? There's NOTHING I have in common with her! No way in hell!" Asuka thought, feeling the urge to punch the butler, yet kept her cool.

"Well, I won't be keeping you occupied. You may enter the mansion. Enjoy the party" Sebastian told them and showed them the way.

The four friends moved on, briefly exchanging nods with the security guards before entering the mansion. Once inside, they were awed by the wealth the Rochefort family possessed, as well as the mansion's interior. They had now entered the great hall, where all the guests were gathered at one place. An entire crowd could be seen. The guests were socializing with one another, especially while having some drinks of champagne.

Steve whistled in amazement. "Damn. This really looks accommodating to say at least" the young boxer noted before pointing his thumb at the long table were food and drinks were served. "What do you say we go and mingle with these guys?" Steve asked Lei.

"Hold it, Steve. It's too early to act so careless" the Chinese man said while scanning the great hall for anyone suspicious. "Okay, no sight of Kazuya, Anna or Bruce so far. Could they possibly be having this meeting the agents were talking about?" Lei wondered in his head.

"We don't we jus split up and look for clues amongst the guests? That may help us" Christie suggested. "I'm gonna go and see for myself" she said as she took off.

"As will I. See you soon, Lei" Steve told him and headed over to the table.

This left Lei with Asuka. "So Asuka, what do you say you….." Lei was trying to start a conversation with the young girl, until a female voice called to them from the sideways.

"Oh my, what an unexpected visitor!" the voice came from the blonde-haired girl named Lili, the only child of Mr. Rochefort. She was facing Asuka with a cunning smile. "So glad you could come to visit, Asuka Kazama. I knew you would always be willing to visit a friend" Lili told her with a sweet voice.

Still, Asuka felt ticked off about hearing this. "Quit getting all giddy about it! I'm only here because Lei asked me to come with him, nothing else!" the Japanese girl snapped at her, to which Lili giggled in return.

Lili soon turned her attention to Lei and reached out a hand to her. "Ah, you must be Detective Lei Wulong from Interpol. A pleasure in meeting you" she told him while she and Lei shook hands.

"The honor is mine, Mrs. Rochefort. Enchanté" the policeman told her. "Say, quite a birthday party, don't ya think? I mean, look at all these guests" Lei then remarked while looking around.

The blondie sighed in annoyance. "Yeah. But I didn't get to pick which guest would come here. Here you see business magnates, military officers and even hired entertainers. None of which I chose to invite!" she said with dispassion in her voice. But Lili looked at Asuka. "But you on the other hand. I had plans on inviting you, so that we could get to know each other better" the snobbish girl said to Asuka.

Asuka responded by simply shrugging off her statement. "Well, too bad the invitation didn't make it Osaka" she hit back at her, always resenting Lili's attitude.

Lei began realizing how true it was about the guests that were invited to this party. He knew could see some of the people who were attending it. There was the pale-skinned man with black hair, a scar running across his mouth and face, and eyes of emptiness. Lei gulped. This man was Sergei Dragunov, a member of the Russian elite special forces team known as Spetsnaz. He was infamous on the frontlines, ruthless in following orders and a master in Sambo, thus earning him the nickname White Angel of Death. Why was someone like him at a party in Monaco?

Another famous person Lei could see was a white-haired man dressed in a white dress and violet jacket. He recognized that man. It was Lee Chaolan, CEO of Violet Systems, a manufacturer of robotics, particularly humanoid robots. He was also known to be close to the Mishima family, being Heihachi's adopted son. But since growing up and founding Violet Systems, Lee had completely distanced himself from his "violent" relatives, although there existed rumors about him being in contact with Tekken Force rebels.

"Anyway" Lili asked Lei, the Chinese man getting her full attention. "Care to explain what you're really doing here, officer?" she questioned him in a smug manner.

Lei cooked an eyebrow in return. "What? I don't know what you're talking about" he said to her in return.

Lili smiled. "Oh well. My father and Kazuya Mishima will be having their meeting in his office at the Rochefort Enterprises corporeal HQ. But they aren't leaving just yet. You may want to warn your spy friends while there is still time" Lili told him before strutting away like the sweet girl she was.

Lei and Asuka almost dropped their jaws to the floor as they had heard what she just said. "What the hell…how does she….." Asuka uttered out those words in disbelief.

Lei was striving to reach for his phone. "Worry about that later, Asuka! If what she says is true, then we need to warn Raven and Master Raven as soon as possible!" the Chinese man said while realizing he couldn't find his phone in the pockets of his dress. "Damnit! I left my phone in the pockets of my white pants in the limousine! Do you have a phone on you, Asuka?" he asked her.

"Nope. I didn't think it was necessary" she told him in an apologetic manner.

"Ah crap! I gotta find a way to contact the agents!" the policeman said before scrambling to find a phone to borrow. He ran through the mansion to find one, much to Asuka's utter confusion.

At the table where the glasses of champagne could be seen, Steve was about to take the last glass that was near him. Once he reached his hand for it, another hand did that as well, thus coming into contact with one another. Steve was surprised and quickly looked to his right to apologize to that person.

"Sorry about that. I didn't…" Steve stopped once he could see who that person was.

From the looks of it, it seemed like a blonde-haired girl with light blue eyes. But despite her gender, she was dressed in a man's white dress. However, Steve was not concentrated on that. He was more concentrated on the girl's face. The British boxer felt stunned.

The girl chuckled nervously. "No, it's I should be sorry here" she told him. "I thought nobody wanted this glass of champagne was gonna take to the kitchen for cleaning. You see, I'm a waitress, even though my choice of clothes may not be enough to consider as such" she went on explaining what she was doing.

Steve smiled at her. "Ah, so you're employed here. Well, I must say that the suit you wear sure is a nice touch. I mean, it's thinner than what me and most men wear" the blonde-haired man tried to compliment her outfit. "Anyway, the Rochefort family must be paying you handsomely for doing a fine job such as this" Steve then said.

"Actually, I'm not particularly in here for the money. Although I just got to Monaco and was low on cash and needed some way to earn money. I'm from Germany" she revealed to him.

Steve whistled in amazement. "You're German? I thought you were Monegasque, given that you and Lili are both blondies" the boxer remarked.

The young girl responded by folding her arms while glancing at him smugly. "But you're also blonde. And you're not from Monaco, either" she told him.

"You caught me. I come from Britain. My name is Steve Fox, a professional boxer by profession" Steve introduced himself while reaching out a hand to the girl. "I'm sure you have seen me on the telly or at the very least heard about me on the radio or something" the blonde-haired boy told her.

She grabbed her hand and shook it. "Can't say I have. I'm a spelunker by profession, so I'm usually out of town. My name is Eleonor Kliesen, but those who know usually call me Leo. I know it may sound like a boy's name but I…" the girl named Leo noticed something was rather off with Steve. "Ummm….is there something wrong?" she asked him.

Steve soon snapped back into reality. "Oh no, nothing. Sorry, I just thought your name was quite lovely to be honest with you" the young boxer told her. "And you say you're a spelunker? Fancy" he then said.

"Yup. I am. But it's not always I…." Leo stopped once she could hear someone call for him. "I'm coming!" she said and turned around to walk, but not before looking over her shoulder to see Steve one more time. "Nice to meet you, Steve Fox. Perhaps we can talk more later" she told him before moving towards the guests, leaving Steve by himself.

The young boxer, was stunned. There was a very particular reason why he was behaving this way. "That face…that smile...and her surname…...it can't be" Steve uttered out lowly to himself. "Could she possibly be related to…..Dr. Emma Kliesen?" he wondered, thinking of a women in his past, whom he felt greatly indebted to for saving him once. Truth be told, Steve had almost forgotten her, yet he still possessed some memories of her smile.

Long ago, Steve had been born as a test subject of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and underwent various experiments. It was a program lead by Dr. Abel, a scientist with nefarious agendas. But Emma was the only one who treated her friendly and not like some lab rat. She was placed in care of him, only to free Steve after he had undergone so many experiments on his left arm. It was Emma who was responsible for putting Steve for adoption and convinced Dr. Abel that he had died and the experiment was a failure. But the freedom came at a great price. To protect himself from his former captors, Emma told Steve he was not to have any contact with her, as much as it pained her. That would only leave the Zaibatsu to discover how Emma fabricated his supposed death. Since growing up with his adoptive family, Steve had never contacted her, deciding to honor Emma's last wish. Yet from what had once heard, she had joined the G Corporation.

Steve's mind was bubbling with thoughts at the moment, yet kept watching as Leo did her work for the guests. Stave had so many questions he wanted to ask her, yet he couldn't. He was at loss of what to do.

While her comrades were doing their fair of share at the party, Christie had decided to check out what the guests were gathering around for. Squeezing herself into the crowd, she could eventually see what it was they were watching. The Brazilian woman could see a man with afro dressed like a disco dancer. Truth be told, she had never seen that man before, yet he was now dancing while using capoeira. This was the mysterious dancer named Tiger Jackson.

"What? That guy is a capoeira fighter?" Christie wondered as she could see the man continue to impress those around him with his moves. The guests cheered for Tiger as he demonstrated his skills for everyone to see.

He even made gestures towards some of the guests, as if he was trying to impress them. With the female ones, he was definitely trying to flirt with them, Christie included. But she was far from impressed by Tiger's flirting, let alone his capoeira and dancing skills. He even moonwalked and that made the guests gasp at him in surprise. They all gave him applause, save for Christie, who rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Meh, I've seen Eddy and grandpa performing better moves than that doofus. Even I could match up to him" Christie said to herself before noticing most of the guests leaving Tiger to focus on something else. Christie wondered what it was.

Someone had entered the great hall and it was none other than Kazuya Mishima, Anna Williams and Bruce Irvin, the three leading figures in the G Corporation. All the guests in the great hall turned their attentions to them. These three had a well-known reputation throughout the world and it was natural they would attract attention.

Leo, who was standing among the crowds, felt her anger boil once she saw the red-eyed man enter. "Kazuya…" she muttered out the name of her mother's killer. "You dare show your face here!?" she thought angrily, resisting the urge to launch herself at him.

Kazuya was far from impressed with what he was seeing in this hall. "Hmmm….this place wearies me" he said before looking over his shoulder to Anna. "Where is he? Where is the oil baron?" Kazuya asked the cunning brunette.

"He will join us soon. Once we've had a little glass of champagne, we'll drive to Rochefort Enterprises' HQ. From what he told me, security over there is guaranteed" Anna informed him.

Bruce huffed when hearing that. "It's only guaranteed because we're supplying the security" he told her before eyeing the various guests who had noticed their presence. "Heh, I don't sense any Zaibatsu spy among these crowds. But I think I recognize some of the guests here" he added firmly.

"Kazuya, long time no see!" a smug voice could be heard from behind, yet Kazuya didn't turn around to see who it was. He had already figured it out. It was Lee, his adoptive younger brother. "I would've never expected to stumble upon you here in Monaco" the white-haired man told him while holding up a glass of champagne.

Kazuya responded by only shrugging his shoulders. "What are you doing here, Lee? Shouldn't you be back at your mansion on The Bahamas?" he coldly asked Lee.

Lee laughed off his adoptive brother's cold treatment. "Sorry, brother. No can do. I was invited by Mr. Rochefort to attend this party, given that I am the CEO of Violet Systems. Who knows, perhaps Rochefort Enterprises will be interested to invest in Violet Systems" the elegant man explained why he was in Monaco. But it didn't take long before Lee caught glimpse of Anna. He quickly gave a formal greeting by bowing his head. "And I see you look as stunning as ever, Mrs. Williams. Tell me, how does it feel like to be Kazuya's secretary? Is he a good sugar daddy?" Lee then asked the brunette.

"Your humor eludes me, Lee Chaolan. And you suppose you are worthy of being my sugar daddy?" Anna questioned Lee with a seductive expression on her face, before laughing. "Don't insult me. You couldn't possibly handle a woman like me" Anna told him in a mocking manner.

"As always, your seductive nature never ceases to amaze me" Lee complimented her.

"Enough of this sissy talk" Bruce interrupted before looking at Kazuya. "Shall we do something with him, Kazuya?" he asked the Japanese man.

Kazuya looked over his shoulder to face Bruce. "No, let that clown do as he pleases. We didn't come to Monaco to cause chaos. We came here to have a talk with the Rochefort Enterprises, although that bumbling fool is yet to show up" he told Bruce in return, signaling his impatience with Mr. Rochefort.

Lee responded by only waving his hand at them in a friendly gesture. "Well, I don't mean to disturb your waiting. Have fun in Monaco" he told them before vanishing into the crowds. Kazuya felt relieved that his annoying adoptive brother was gone.

Meanwhile, Lei was watching the trio from the hallway. He was trying not to look at them too much, as it would only attract attention. But on the other hand, he had been eavesdropping on them, thus confirming the fact that they wouldn't be having this meeting in the mansion. Lei didn't know where Steve, Asuka and Christie were, but they were likely mingled in the crowds, which was good. Lei moved upstairs so that he would be alone.

"There they are. The G Corp's terrible trio" Lei muttered beneath his breath. "But still, if they're headed towards Rochefort Enterprises' HQ, then I gotta let the agents know. But just how in the world am I supposed to get a phone!?" he then wondered to himself.

As Lei held his head with his hands, he was surprised when he could see somebody reaching out a phone for him to use. Turning around, Lei could see Lee standing there with his trademark smug smile.

"Lee Chaolan….." Lei said his name while glancing at the phone.

"You want to inform your agent friends, right? Well, here's your chance" Lee said while Lei slowly grabbed hold of the phone. "And don't worry about remembering the number. I've already dialed it and hacked into their communications network" the CEO of Violet Systems told the policeman.

Lei didn't know what to say in return, but he used the phone, in hopes of reaching out to Master Raven and Raven.

* * *

 _Somewhere over the Northern Pacific_

Having left Usiyi Island when Artifact 333 was nowhere to be found, Jin Kazama and his group were on the helicopter heading back to Japan. Right now, Jin was trying to figure out the whereabouts of the artifact by connecting his computer with the severed head of the androids they had fought in the archive. Xiaoyu was holding up the head. She felt uncomfortable holding it.

"You know this is officially gross, right?" Xiaoyu asked Jin.

Jin sighed deeply when hearing this. "We don't have time to be squeamish, Xiao" he told him.

"You're not the one holding this thing" Xiaoyu pointed out to him.

"She's a computer, nothing more. And computers can be hacked" Jin told her while trying to hack into the android's database. "Robot, tell me the location of Artifact 333" the young man told the robotic head.

"BZZZZZ ACCSESS DENEID" the head said in return.

"Damn. I can't hack into that network" Jin cursed while trying to figure out something.

"Any luck getting any answers so far?" Nina asked him, as she was piloting the helicopter alongside Eddy.

"Nope. That piece of scrap ain't helping" Paul said from behind. "But I don't get why we're trying to figure out where it even. I mean, the answer to that is pretty obvious" he told everyone while resting his hands behind his neck.

"With someone like Heihachi Mishima, one can never know where he might put his treasures" Yoshimitsu said.

"Agreed. It's not like we can waltz straight to the Zaibatsu's HQ and search for it" King said.

"Which is why I am trying to hack into the database and see if whether the artifact is in the HQ or not. Sooner or later, I will manage to unlock their secrets" Jin said while tapping on his computer.

"Then you do that" Xiaoyu told him while looking out the window. "But I'm still not sure whether coming back to Japan is such a good idea. I mean, we're technically…" the young girl was interrupted when she and the others could hear something.

It was the helicopter's radar suddenly saying something. "Warning! Warning! Warning!" the monitor said. The pilots became wary and cautious of this.

"What the hell is this? Weren't the fuel cells we stole from the archive enough?" Eddy wondered while checking the fuel gauge. "No, that's impossible! Have we been hacked or something?" he asked Nina.

"We haven't been hacked. We can steer the helicopter just fine. It's just that…" Nina was telling Eddy until she and he could see what was on the radar. A missile was headed directly towards the helicopter. "Damn! Somebody is shooting at us!" she yelled and proceeded to steer the helicopter so it was bent sideways as soon as possible.

All the guests were almost blown off their seats, they remained firm. Fortunately, they narrowly avoided getting hit by the missile.

Where did it come from? This came from Bryan Fury, who was standing on top of a G Corp speedboat, aiming a missile launcher at the helicopter. But Bryan had missed and it made him pissed.

"Shit! I missed!" the cyborg cursed as the speedboat sped up to catch up to the helicopter.

"Don't worry, there's still time on the clock before we reach the shore" Katarina Alves called out to him from the front seat. The woman with sunglasses looked at Miguel Caballero Rojo, who was steering the speedboat. "Hey Miguel. Full speed ahead. We're going after them!" she told him.

"Tch, you don't need to tell me twice, puta!" Miguel told her as he pulled

Meanwhile, Armor King was holding up a chaingun to aim at the helicopter. "We have a full arsenal of weapons on this boat. It should give us the advantage" Armor King told his comrades.

"But that helicopter can attack us, can't it?" Ganryu asked them as he looked up to see it in the air.

"So far, they have not responded to our shot. That means we should keep on trying" Feng Wei told Katarina who nodded her head in return.

"Certamente! Let's see if we can bring them down before they reach the shore" Katarina told them while looking at the helicopter with a smirk.

 _To be continued…_


	4. Despair Awaits

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Part 4: Despair Awaits**

 _Outside the Violet Systems HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

Helicopters belonging to the Mishima Zaibatsu were now descending upon a tall building in Kyoto, Japan. In the meantime, armored cars were driving into the building by crashing through the windows and entering the lobby. Both the helicopters and the armored cars were loaded with soldiers of the Tekken Force. They had been ordered by Heihachi Mishima himself to infiltrate the alleged HQ of Violet Systems, in hopes of apprehending its CEO: Lee Chaolan. Heihachi had suspected that his adoptive son was in contact with either the G Corporation or the Tekken Force rebels. Therefore, it was important that he disposed of potential allies to Kazuya immediately.

Outside one of the armored cars, a large bear dressed in Tekken Force gear and armor was now leading the soldiers, consisting of men and women, into battle. This was Kuma, Heihachi's loyal and intelligent bear. He possessed extraordinary abilities, such as understanding human language, as well as good fighting skills for a bear. But since Heihachi had reclaimed his place in the Zaibatsu, Kuma had followed his master into service, and had now been appointed to one of the commanders in the Tekken Force. As the soldiers got out of the vehicles, Kuma called for order amongst his men.

"(You know our objectives! Search the building and find our target: Lee Chaolan. And remember, he is to be apprehended, not killed! Eliminate any resistance you encounter along the way!)" Kuma growled, yet most of the soldiers understood what he was trying to say. "(We won't rest until that man is captured. Move out!)" the bear then told them by moving his paw towards the stairs and the hallway he could see in the lobby.

The soldiers began moving as a result, each of them searching the different routes in packs. They searched each room they came across, even the small ones. For some reason, the elevators in the building wasn't working, thus forcing the soldiers to use the stairs to reach the higher floors. But then again, those Tekken Force soldiers who had entered the building from the top were already doing that.

As the soldiers began searching the different labs and testing facilities, they were stunned once they met resistance from something they had least expected from: humanoid robots. These were a part of the building's security, who had been activated to fend off anyone who intruded. This led the Tekken Force to concentrate on them, while at the same time focusing on their objective to find Lee.

The floor where Lee's office could be found was on the 27th floor. When the soldiers reached there, they bombed the door and quickly entered to apprehend Lee and catch him. But the Tekken Force searched through the office, but they found nothing. The soldiers waited for Kuma to arrive and the bear began inspecting it. He too could see nothing, let alone smell it.

"(This has to be a joke)" Kuma said as he searched by moving the table. "(Lee was supposed to be here! But he's not. What happened?)" the bear wondered as he shoved away some objects.

Some of the soldiers were helping Kuma with finding some clues, as he couldn't find anything by himself, of course. But after some minutes of searching, one of the soldiers approached Kuma with something.

"Sir, we found this letter underneath the lamp on the desk" the soldier told him and Kuma reached his paw to grab it and see for himself.

Kuma opened up and started reading what was written on the letter. Given that he could understand human speech, he could also read, both in English and Japanese.

 _Dear Heihachi_

 _I hope it's not too late for me to write you this letter. Normally I would have sent you a mail or something, but this time, I wanted to be more personal with you. So please excuse my handwriting. It's been a while since I last wrote something on paper._

 _Now I know you suspect me of having any kinds of partnerships with Kazuya and the G Corp. But I'm afraid you're sadly mistaking. Violet Systems want no part of this petty bickering that has only worsened ever since you returned to the Zaibatsu. So I kindly ask you, go whine about it over someone who feels sorry for you instead of me. It's such giant pain in my neck._

 _And now for my more recent actions. You may have not realized it, but I've moved out of Japan. Yes, Violet Systems is now looking forward to help people across the globe, unlike the Zaibatsu or the G Corp. As such, we will offer our services to those who are in need. So know that you've entered this building, you can see that I'm no longer in Japan, only a few trusty guards remain. But other than those and this letter, there is nothing I can give you. So this is where we say goodbye for now._

 _Best regards from Lee Chaolan._

 _P.S.: I watched the recent news where you were on camera. Honestly, don't you have a better style of clothing? Your taste in fashion is so lacking compared to mine. Just saying. And dressing Kuma in Tekken Force uniform? Man, you've grown deluded over the years, Heihachi. Must be your old age. But on the other hand, I'm happy that I know something I beat you at, especially on the fashion part. Excellent!_

The moment Kuma was finished reading this letter, he immediately threw it away in anger. The soldiers were careful not to get too close to this angry bear. Kuma was very unhappy over the fact Lee had escaped from them a long time ago. On the other hand, Kuma was not pleased with Lee taking an issue to him wearing Tekken Force garb.

"(That sneaky, little slimeball! He got away before we even arrived here! Damn!)" Kuma angrily growled while throwing an object out of the large windows of Lee's office. But the bear eventually calmed himself, thus ending his bestial rage. "(Grrr…..let's just head downstairs to the lobby and regroup with the other squadrons. I'll contact Heihachi and let him know of our mission's failure)" Kuma told his subordinates and they all saluted before him in return.

They all followed him outside, but only one Tekken Force soldier remained in Lee's office. It was a female member, one who was dressed in black and red and wore a helmet. But who was this member? Right now, she kept looking at the pictures she saw in the office, including those that had jungles in them.

"Oh gosh. This jungle almost looks like the one back home" the soldier said before removing her helmet. The woman was none other than Josie Rizal, one of the newbies in the Tekken Force, who was from the Philippines. The young woman was now looking over at one of Lee's shelves. "Hmmm, so many books here. But it looks like most of them are all about robotics and stuff. Can't say I'm interested" Josie said as she kept browsing the shelf.

As the young woman did that, she suddenly noticed something that caught her interest. It was a book about Lee himself. From the looks of it, it would seem Lee had written his own biography. Josie raised an eyebrow, as she could see Lee on the frontpage doing a gesture with his thumbs. The name of the book was "Excellent".

"Excellent? What kind of book is that?" Josie quizzed while looking at it. While observing the book, Josie discovered something in the behind the books in the shelf. Reaching over them, she grabbed hold of it and decided to see what it was. Rolling it up, Josie discovered it was a picture, but of whom? As she looked closer, she could see that there was a spikey-haired man standing in the middle of some Tekken Force soldiers. He was dressed in the usual Tekken Force attire, while having a slight scar that ran across his left eye. "Wait….that man….I've heard about him. But wait…it's Lars Alexandersson! The man who led the Tekken Force uprising against Jin Kazama!" Josie exclaimed, feeling delighted over to see someone she had heard about since joining the military wing of the Mishima Zaibatsu.

"Hey! What are you standing over there for?" Josie snapped as she could see some of her fellow soldiers standing in the doorway. "Whatever you're doing, get rid of that book and paper. The commander wants us all down in the lobby immediately" the soldier in the middle told her sternly.

Josie responded by nodding her head repeatedly. "Y-yes of course! I'll be t-there soon!" she told them while trying not to sound nervous when speaking to her comrades in arms.

But the soldiers all laughed at her before leaving Josie alone. It was painful for the Philippine woman to experience this and she was almost starting to cry, until she managed to look at the picture of Lars and his men, thus cheering herself up. True, since joining the Tekken Force, Josie would often be made fun of by the other soldiers due to her being so emotional, as well as her clumsy tendencies. It just wasn't fit for someone who was in the Tekken Force to have such weaknesses. She resented it, yet tried to hold her head up high, regardless. Making money for her family in the Philippines was her priority, not getting back at some arrogant soldiers.

Josie sighed and put the book back into the shelf and took with her the picture while exiting the office. "This job better be worth the money. If not, then all this humiliation has been for nothing" the young woman said to herself, eager to withstand the mockery for the sake of earning some cash for her family.

"They may laugh at me cause I'm a crybaby, but I'll show them!" the Philippine woman said to herself with determination. She also looked at the picture of Lars. "Gosh, I really gotta meet him someday" she remarked, although she was naively saying this while being on the mission. As such, she quickly snapped in embarrassment, hoping that no other soldier was nearby to hear her. She quickly packed up the picture in one of her pockets.

In the lobby, as the Tekken Force was regrouping, Kuma was now communicating with his master, and as expected, Heihachi was not pleased to hear the news, as well as the letter they had found in Lee's office.

" _He what!? He has left Japan!? That lousy, arrogant punk! How dares he run away from me! And I was just getting all the champagne ready to celebrate that brat getting punished!_ " Heihachi's voice could be heard from Kuma's communicator and it was loud enough for nearby soldiers to hear it. " _But then again, I think I know for sure where Violet Systems have relocated themselves to, given that Lee is such a slacker_ " he told his pet.

"(You mean he now lives in a different country?" Kuma asked his boss. "(Well, we could always go look for him on the Bahamas. It's there where his mansion is, right?)" the bear then suggested to him.

" _No. We will leave that idiot to himself for now. We should rather concentrate on the G Corp. But if you see any more movements with the Tekken Force rebels, deal with them right away_ " Heihachi spoke up, preparing to give Kuma new orders. " _Now as for your next orders, return to HQ at once. There is something I would like to discuss with you with regards to security of the Research and Development Facility_ " he told the bear.

"(Right. Understood, master)" Kuma said before ending his talk with Heihachi. He directed his attention on to the soldiers around him. "(Listen up, everyone! All of us are to return to HQ. The mission has been aborted! Gather your weapons and enter the vehicles!)" the bear told them and the soldiers saluted to him in return.

* * *

 _On the top of the Rochefort Enterprises HQ, Monte Carlo, Monaco_

The evening was coming to the wondrous principality in the French Riviera and the lights could be seen in every building, including the one where the Rochefort Enterprises had their HQ. It was a tall building mostly covered in glass. From its rooftop, one had a great view of the Monegasque harbor and coast area. It something the agent called Raven had to find admirable.

"Wonderful. Just wonderful" Raven said, still being his usual calm self. "It's a good thing the war hasn't reached Monaco yet. I would definitely love to come back here during the holiday season" he added, expressing an interest in coming to Monte Carlo as a tourist.

Raven stopped gazing once he could feel Master Raven's presence near him. He turned to face her with his focused expression.

"I just had a phone call with Lei. He just told me something important" Master Raven told him and Raven listened to what was being said. "The meeting won't take place in the Rochefort Mansion. It will take place in this building not many minutes from now on" she told him sternly.

"What?" Raven asked her. "But how did he know that? Kazuya is at the party, correct. But was someone else aware of….of course, Mr. Rochefort's daughter. She must have told him after hearing what her father's plans were" he then came to a realization.

"Either way, there's no time to waste! We best head inside and find the files in the office before they arrive. Lei told us this building also had received help with the security from the G Corp. That means we gotta be more cautious once we're inside" Master Raven told her subordinate and moved over towards the ceiling made of glass. Raven was right behind her. "Let us break inside. I have already studied the floor below us and from the looks of it, there are no lasers. But we still have to contend with the guards who patrol here" she informed him.

Raven nodded at her firmly. "Right. I'm ready" he assured his partner while putting a small machine in the middle of the glass ceiling. This gadget seemed to be capable of creating a circle large enough for the two agents to sleek through and they did as soon as the machine was finished. One by one, the agents landed on the floor, each glancing towards the opposite side to see if there were guards nearby. To their relief, there were none. "Thank God. We're alone here" Raven uttered beneath his breath.

Master Raven only scoffed silently when hearing his words. "We have yet to stumble upon the challenge, Raven. Don't get relieved just yet" she slightly scolded him. The athletic woman stood up while brandishing her ninja sword. "According to the data, Mr. Rochefort's office is three floors beneath us. If its true, the tight security must be there for sure" she told him before moving over to where the elevators were.

Raven only glanced at her as if he didn't understand. "Why do we need to use the elevators? They aren't activated when the building's closed" he quizzed her.

Master Raven looked at him with a smirk. "Exactly my point. Now that they're not operational, it's the perfect chance to use their steel ropes to climb down to the floor. Nobody will notice us" she told him while starting to pull the doors of the elevator from each other. Despite her slim figure, Master Raven was a muscular woman. As such, she managed to pull up the door. Both agents looked and could see the long steel ropes that held the elevators. It was quite high from where they were standing. "Careful you don't loose grip, Raven" she told him before jumping to catch one of the steel ropes, clutching herself onto it before sleeking down.

Raven sighed and did the same thing. "Like I need you to remind me about anything" the man with the sunglasses said before he grabbed onto one of the steel ropes and climbed himself down two where his partner was.

The agents had now reached the floor where Mr. Rochefort office was located. But first, they had to see whether it was actually safe to enter the floor. Raven activated his sunglasses' x-ray mode and could now see what lied beyond the elevator's doors.

"This is not looking good. From what I gather, there are two G Corp soldiers standing guard beyond these doors. But that's not all. The entire corridor is crawling with security" Raven explained his partner.

"Hmmm, the presence of soldiers only confirms our suspicions. They're guarding something. And that is the files we're seeking" Master Raven remarked. "Even so, several G Corp soldiers aren't gonna stop us from claiming them" she said before reaching for something behind her back. She held up a sticky bomb for her partner to see. "It looks like we'll have to be rougher here" she told Raven.

"Is that a sticky bomb? Now you're sounding pretty stupid right not. I mean, you're seriously gonna blow up the doors and launch an attack on them?" Raven asked his partner in disbelief. "That will only blow our cover" he pointed out to her.

Master Raven only rolled her eyes in return. "You're judging a book by it's cover again, Raven. This isn't sticky bomb that will explode once detonated. It's a smoke bomb" she revealed to him before planting it at the foot of the elevator door. She then proceeded to reach for another smoke bomb and then plant it on the other elevator door before returning to the steel rope. "Once I've activated them, they will unleash smoke upon the direction they're facing. Since they're placed at the foot of the doors, the smoke will go underneath them and then fill the entire corridors with smoke. They will suspect it is fire, but we will venture through the smoke and find the office, grab the files and then head back to the rooftop. Are you with me, Raven?" she asked her subordinate, making sure he got everything cleared up.

"It still sounds stupid to me, yet at the same time also more preferable" Raven told her, causing Master Raven to sigh in annoyance.

"Save your sarcasm for later, Raven" she told him before reaching for something, and it appeared to be a detonator. "I'm about to activate these sticky bombs. Be sure you have your breather on before we barge through the doors!" Master Raven said and they both reached for their masks.

In the corridor where the soldiers were standing guard, it was quiet all around them. But the silence ended as soon as the guards who stood by the elevator doors noticed smoke coming out from behind. It didn't take long before the other soldiers could see it as well.

"What the…..SMOKE!?" one of the soldiers asked before he began coughing.

"It's fire! There's fire from the elevator!" another one cried before he was also consumed by the smoke.

As soon as the smoke spread across the corridor, it soon activated the alarm. All the soldiers were confused by this. They even failed to notice the two agents breaching the elevator door and running through the corridor carrying masks. They swatted aside any soldier they came across. The smoke was growing too thick for the two agents to see clearly. Fortunately, their masks possessed thermal vision, thus enabling them to find Mr. Rochefort's office. Breaching the door, they entered and quickly walked over to the table.

"Alright! Search the table. The files gotta be here somewhere!" Master Raven told her subordinate as she began searching.

"I'm on it!" Raven responded, quickly looking at the shelves to see if he could find something. "Damn! There's nothing there!" he cursed once he could see that the shelf was empty.

"Don't give up yet! We're not leaving until se find that file!" the woman replied to him firmly while she was looking at it at a bookshelf. She was growing more distressed by the minute. "It's gotta be here! They wouldn't have taken such an important file with them on a party!" Master Raven's frustration was growing.

"I found it!" Raven said as he held it up for his superior to see. It was a file that had the G Corporation's logo on it. "I found it underneath the computermat" the agent told him as Master Raven moved closer to get a better look at it.

Master Raven smiled. "Excellent work, Raven. You've done well" she complimented him. "Now let's get back to the rooftop where our flight….." she was interrupted when something was barging into the office. The two agents quickly turned their attention to whoever it was that had broken it.

Emerging from the smokes was something with glowing red eyes. But it didn't take long for the two agents to see what it really was. It was a giant JACK robot, yet it's model was different from the ones they were used to. This one was taller and had it's own unique design, especially with a pink mohawk on its head.

Raven gritted his teeth in frustration over what he was seeing. "What the hell!? What is that!?" he blurted out while standing ready for combat.

Master Raven was also standing ready for combat as well, even holding onto her ninja sword. "This must be the G Corp's latest upgrade of their specialized JACK-model. Whatever it is, it's gear surpasses that of those carried by ordinary JACKs.

The JACK fixed its eyes upon the two agents with it's sensors. "Target acquired. Commencing elimination of targets" the JACK spoke up before proceeding to begin to cause havoc in the office, trying to attack the two agents at the same time.

But even as the JACK was more powerful than the two agents, they were much faster than him. But then again, this JACK was not to be taken lightly with, as it would continue to pursue the duo throughout the smoked corridor.

"Its gaining on us! How are we gonna loose it!?" Raven asked his partner as they ran through the smoke. He was also trying to hold onto this file.

"We'll use the elevator ropes to climb upstairs! But the JACK will still come after us! I know a way we can escape from him faster!" Master Raven told him and the two agents could see the opened doors to the elevator.

Without delay, they jumped and held onto the same rope. However, that didn't stop the JACK from pursuing them, as it was now crushing the doors to make space for him to enter.

"Shit! That thing sure is persistent!" Raven cursed as he could see how quick the robot actually was.

Master Raven only smirked beneath her mask while drawing out her blade. "Not for much longer! Hold on tight! This will be a fast lift!" she said before cutting the rope, thus enabling the agents to be taken upwards towards the highest floor. It sure went fast, yet they were able to breach the elevator doors and reach the highest floor. "Hmmm, what did I tell you?" Master Raven asked her partner who only grunted in reply.

"Save the chitchat for later! We need to get the hell out of this place!" Raven told her.

The two agents used their quick reflexes to jump up to the hole on the ceiling of glass. It was quite the move, since they had both been trained to do this kind of stuff. It was simply in their genes.

As they were standing on the rooftops, the two agents had hoped their ride would arrive here sooner, yet it was not present yet. The plane was supposed to have been standing ready.

"Great! Now what?" Raven grumbled when seeing their flight.

"All in due time, Raven. I will try to get in contact with them" Master Raven told him while tapping onto her communicators to get in contact with the pilots.

But as the two were waiting for their ride, somebody was approaching them from behind. Turning around, Master Raven and Raven were in for a shock, as they could see something stand before them growling like some wild beast. But this wasn't an animal.

"What in the name of….." Raven uttered out words from what he saw before him.

It was a large red male behemoth creature with a mirrored helmet consisting of six "eyes", with a matching black steel collar. If one was to look closely, a glimpse of its mouth could be seen. Most of its body was covered in large black pieces of armor, gauntlets and shoulder pads over its red skin, with numerous loose cables sticking out of its back. It was now growling in an animalistic nature, something the agents had never seen before.

"Now this is just messed up. What is this? A new model of the JACKs?" Raven asked his partner.

Master Raven narrowed her eyes as she got closer to see what it really was. "No. I don't think so. Look closer, Raven" the woman told him and Raven did as she advised him to. "This behemoth…...it's actually human! This only means one thing!" she told Raven who himself was stunned to see that Master Raven was telling him the truth. It was indeed human, given its mouth. From the looks of it, it seemed to be a male.

"You don't think that….." Raven looked at his superior, whose eyes narrowed while facing this monster.

"Yes. It appears that our speculations turned out to be true. The G Corp had begun experimenting on humans, using the DNA of fighters across the globe. Not only that, but also turning them into biotechnological weapons" Master Raven informed him before she used her quick speed to avoid getting hit by the creature as he was charging towards her. "This one appears to be one of these biotechnological weapons. But I never expected the G Corp to use them as security on this building" she added before moving to attack the creature.

Because Master Raven avoided him, the monster focused his attention on Raven, who was also too fast for the hulking creature. Yet it still pursued the two agents.

"Damn! This one's definitely persistent!" Raven called out while avoiding getting attacked. "Find anything on the scanner on yours!?" he then called out to his partner, who had already begun an analysis of this creature.

Master Raven was able to identify this creature on her scanner and it said his name was Gigas. It also confirmed the fact that he was indeed human, although completely mutated by whatever experiment the G Corp put him through. But the woman was unable to find out about Gigas' origins. It came up insufficient.

"The name of this creature is Gigas. And it is indeed no robot. It's the G Corp's next-gen humanoid weapon" she noted before looking up as Raven appeared beside her. They both could see Gigas turning his attention on him. "But I can't figure out his true identity, my scanner fails. Probably due to the mask on his face" Master Raven told her partner.

Raven only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Well aren't we in for a dilemma" he sarcastically said.

But both agents both lost composure when the JACK they had tried running away from appeared out of the glass ceiling, almost catching the two agents by surprise. Both Master Raven and Raven were fortunate enough to avoid getting caught. The JACK landed not far from their location, and it was determined to catch both agents.

"Damn! It's that JACK from before! He's now reached us!" Raven cursed as he and his partner stood back to back facing each of these adversaries they were up against. Raven was facing the JACK while Master Raven was facing Gigas. "We got two brutes on our hands here, Master Raven. Let's hope you have better ideas than just standing here like a couple of idiots!" he told her.

Master Raven did not like the tone in her subordinate's voice, yet she was currently busy with something else. She was on her communicator and it didn't take long before Raven took notice of her speaking to it.

"Yes. Understood. We'll do that. Master Raven out" she finished her communicating and looked over her shoulder to glance at Raven with a smug look. "I hope you still know how to skydive, Raven. You're gonna need it right now" she told him.

Raven raised an eyebrow in return. "Skydiving? You don't mean that we…" he said as Master Raven only shook her head in disapproval.

"Of course, you imbecile. They're almost here! So on 3…..2…1…GO!" she began and the two agents now towards the edge of the rooftop while both Gigas and the JACK followed them.

They both jumped off the edge and skydived from the skyscraper. While both agents were in the air, a jet plan suddenly arrived to catch them both. Master Raven and Raven landed perfectly through the roof the plane and they were taken away from not just the building, but Monte Carlo as well. They flew so high up in the sky and away from the city and the coastline.

Once inside, the two agents took their time to recover before reflecting on their mission. Raven first held up the files for him and Master Raven to see. They had both landed on a giant pillow or some sort.

"Mission complete" Master Raven said as she got up from the pillow and watched the files.

"I almost lost those files from the skydiving. But at least we're safe, for now" the man with sunglasses told his partner. He then took notice of the pillow he and his partner had landed on. "Gotta say, this pillow really is comfy. Since when did the jet plane install this?" he wondered.

"It's not one of our planes" Master Raven told him, causing Raven to stand up and glance at her outraged.

"Not one of ours! What the hell do you mean by…" Raven stopped speaking once he could hear a familiar voice calling to him.

Someone had entered the door and it was none other than Lee Chaolan: CEO of Violet Systems. But he was not alone, he was currently accompanied by Lei Wulong, Steve Fox, Christie Monteiro, Asuka Kazama and Leo Kliesen. The white-haired man dressed in violet smiled as his face met the agents'.

"Greetings, agents. Forgive me for not letting you know about this rescue on a earlier basis. But your superiors contacted me to assist you" Lee told them both while showing them what this was. "This is one of my finest jet planes, made exclusively by Violet Systems. The plane is currently on autopilot, so there's no reason to worry about who steering it" Lee told them both.

Master Raven had to muse when hearing this. "Hmmm, then I take it you were the one who helped Lei reach us. Then I suppose that a thank you is in order" she told Lee before turning her attention on Lei. "And I see that you've managed fine with your comrades, detective. I commend you all for partaking in this mission" she complimented the group.

Lei only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Eh, no biggie. I'm a cop, so that's all part of my job" he told her in return.

"In addition to bringing along your allies on this jet plane, I also took the liberty to invite someone with me" Lee told the agents while showing them Leo. "I present to you Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen, a spelunker from Germany" the elegant man introduced the young girl to the two agents.

"Kliesen…..that name sounds familiar somehow" Raven remarked once hearing Leo's surname.

Leo only chuckled when hearing that. "I figured you would've known. That name is quite known in the G Corp" she told them. "I've decided to come with Mr. Lee in order to find out more about the G Corp. He says he can help me" she then said while facing the white-haired man.

Lee nodded his head at him in return. "And so I shall, madam. But I wouldn't have been doing any of this if not for meeting Detective Lei Wulong in the Rochefort Mansion" he told everyone before nodding towards the Chinese man.

"Please, you flatter me" Lei told him in return while scratching the back of his head.

"Okay, so we all had a "good time" in Monaco. So where are we off to now?" Steve asked everyone, wanting to know more about what their next plan was.

Asuka crossed her arms when hearing this. "Me having a good time? No way! I had to visit the home to one of the snobbiest people I've ever met! To me, that's not having a good time" the Japanese brunette told Steve, still feeling sour to have visited the home of Lili.

"Come on, Asuka. She did a great favor by telling us that their meeting would take place in the corporate HQ and not the mansion" Lei insisted to her, yet Asuka was for from pleased.

"Let's take a break from this kafuffle for a minute. Steve has a point. Where do we go from here?" Christie asked Lee, although she also wanted some answers out of the agents as well.

"Because of your shenanigans in Monaco, the G Corp will be searching for wherever you may hide. But lucky for you, I know exactly where you can stay until you wanna get out of hiding. My mansion on the Bahamas. Violet Systems also have another HQ located there. You wouldn't mind coming with me, would you?" Lee asked the young adults, who were more than thrilled to be taken to a place like this. The white-haired man turned his attention to the two agents. "And of course, you can leave as soon as we arrive on the Bahamas if you don't wanna stay" he assured them.

"No, we still need to focus on the mission. However, we appreciate your hospitality. Perhaps the Bahamas is a good place to lay low for a while" Master Raven told him. "In the meantime, we might as well be planning our next move from there. We still have to find out the background of this Mishima feud" she then added.

Lee smiled when hearing this. "Excellent. This was exactly what I was hoping to hear from you" he told them. "As a matter of fact, I know someone who would be more than interested in helping you with this mission of yours. I take you know someone by the name of Lars Alexandersson, correct?" Lee told them.

"The leader of the Tekken Force rebels. He's been laying low since the end of the last Iron Fist tournament" Raven said, remembering the man Lee spoke of.

"I know. But he's still active in Japan, although he's currently doing business in the shadows, that is" Lee told him. "However, I plan on meeting Lars, as I promised to assist him with something. But I need time to lay low before I go back to Japan. I just heard that one of Violet Systems' offices had been raided by the Tekken Force just now. Lucky for me, I had completely deserted the building, therefore leaving nothing for Heihachi to find" the white-haired man said.

"Very well, then we go to the Bahamas and accompany you to Japan" Raven told Lee before facing Master Raven. "We may as well inform HQ about this as well" he told her.

"It's already been done, Raven" she told him before facing Lee. "I must thank you for this cooperation, Lee Chaolan. We're doing the world a great favor by uncovering whatever secrets this feud has" Master Raven told him.

"Just leave the searching of clues to me and my pals" Lei told everyone. "We didn't get clues at the Rochefort Mansion, but we may find some while on the Bahamas. I trust you can help us a little with that, Mr. Lee" the policeman told him.

"Yes, but I only have limited knowledge of the Mishima clan, and the same thing can be said for Lars as well. But using Violet System's finest computers, you may find very valuable information" Lee told him.

Lei smiled when hearing this. "Very well. The Bahamas it is" he told everyone that was gathered in the plane.

* * *

 _In the Pacific Ocean, near the eastern Japanese coastline_

The helicopter carrying Jin Kazama and his group were currently trying to avoid getting hit by missiles. It was a rough ride as somebody was chasing them from the ocean. This caused some panic amongst Ling Xiaoyu, her friend Panda and Paul Phoenix. King and Yoshitmitsu were trying to figure out who was after them while Eddy Gordo and Nina Williams were piloting the helicopter.

"We narrowly missed that missile" Nina informed everyone while trying to steer it alongside Eddy.

"This is ridiculous! Who the hell's shooting on us!?" Eddy angrily asked while watching the radar before him. "It's a boat, but what type of boat!?" he then asked while feeling more distressed by the minute.

"I think I see who is chasing us!" Yoshimitsu told everyone while looking out the window. "It's a G Corp speedboat. But I have managed to identify the one who just fired that missile. It is that vile cyborg Bryan Fury!" the swordsman revealed to everyone.

"I see him as well. But there's someone else standing on the boat holding a chaingun!" King said as he got a better look at who it was. "Armor King! He's on that speedboat too!" the wrestler informed his comrades once he got a look of the wrestler.

Jin gritted his teeth in frustration when hearing this. "Tch, then that means Kazuya's mercenaries are onto us now! Damnit!" the young man cursed while trying to hold onto his laptop, with Xiaoyu sitting right next to him.

"Come on! Doesn't this piece of junk have any weapons we can use against them!?" Paul asked the two pilots. He wanted to fight back. "We're almost getting chased like a duck trying to fly from its hunter!" he added.

"Tempting, but you're forgetting something important, genius. This isn't an attack helicopter! It's just an ordinary helicopter used for transport" Nina told Paul sternly. "You think it's wise to use this to battle them? You're in over your head, Phoenix" the blondie added to her dismay over the fighter's personality.

"What!? Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" Paul asked in an outraged tone.

"Meu Deus. Didn't you realize that when you piloted the helicopter?" Eddy wondered to himself while facepalming. "Maldito idiota…" the Brazilian man cursed while describing Paul in Portuguese.

"Another missile has been fired!" Yoshimitsu informed them.

Both Nina and Eddy got wind of this and they could see this on the radar. "Warning! Warning! Warning!" the monitor kept repeating as it told everyone what it was.

"Shit! We gotta do something! Those bastards are gonna kill us!" Paul said, only to feel himself getting blown away once Nina and Eddy began steering the helicopter in order to avoid getting hit by the missile.

To their surprise, the missile narrowly missed the helicopter and it astounded them.

"Woah!" Xiaoyu exclaimed as she fell onto Panda's back. "Oops, sorry Panda!" she apologized to her partner, who didn't seem to mind that.

"That was almost a direct hit!" King exclaimed, as he had managed to briefly see the missile pass by them.

Jin, who had also fallen off his seat, managed to get up on while holding onto his laptop. "How long till we are at the Japanese coastline?" he asked both Nina and Eddy.

"We're almost there!" Nina told him while she returned to piloting the helicopter. "I can almost see the shores of Japan! We gotta hold on till we're there! They won't be following us once we're flying over land!" she then informed everyone else.

"Then you better speed up. At this rate, we're not making there faster" Jin told the pilots.

Paul only scoffed at her statement. "Tch, easier said than done! How do you expect us to….." Paul was interrupted when he and everyone else could hear noises coming towards them. They all became cautious, as it sounded like they were being shot at.

"What is that noise?" Yoshimitsu asked the pilots.

"Droga! The helicopter's is fired on!" Eddy cursed as he and Nina could see that on the map explaining the condition each part of the helicopter. "They're shooting the tail rotor!" he then told them.

King looked outside and could see who did that. He fumed with anger over seeing who was firing at the tail rotor. It was Armor King, using a chaingun to try and damage the helicopter. Despite them being far above the speedboat, Armor King manage to land some bullets on the tail rotor.

"What the hell are you doing!?" King angrily asked as he glanced down to see the wrestler firing at the helicopter. "Armor King is firing a chaingun on us now!" King told his comrades.

"A chaingun!?" Xiaoyu exclaimed in shock when hearing this. "Where did they get those kinds of weapons!?" the young girl asked in outrage.

"Umm, from the G Corp, perhaps!? They're using one of their speedboats to ground us!" Paul berated Xiaoyu while trying to get a glance at the view outside the window. Even though they were nearing the shore, all that he could see was the sea. "I've got a whole list of things to do, so I'll be damned if I die in a situation like this! And I won't be buried in the sea!" the American fighter added, refusing to be given a watery grave.

"Quit whining like a brat and start getting serious for once!" Nina berated him before resuming to piloting the helicopter.

The tail rotor was now getting destroyed by so many bullets and it didn't take long before it was out of function. The monitor kept repeatedly saying the tail rotor was destroyed and it worried everyone.

"Those bastards! They're destroyed the tail rotor!" Nina cursed as she could notice the difficulty in steering the vehicle.

"Merda! I can't steer this damn thing!" Eddy cursed in distress.

Jin gritted his teeth in frustration. "Then we're in for a crash landing! EVERYONE HOLD ON TIGHT!" the young man called to everyone as they were losing control.

The helicopter was beginning to spin around and out of control, just as it had arrived on the shores of Japan. They had arrived near Iwaki and were now spinning around the forests near the Nametsu River. Given that it spun around like crazy, steering the helicopter was unavailable and they were headed for a crash landing in the forests. Slowly, the helicopter began descending towards the forest, soon unleashing a crash into these trees.

Out in the ocean and near the shores, the team consisting of Katarina Alves, Bryan Fury, Feng Wei, Miguel Caballero Rojo, Armor King and Ganryu were watching the crash unfold and most of them were satisfied, although Bryan was the one to express it so gleefully. The cyborg laughed maniacally when seeing the helicopter crash.

"Hah! Downed like an injured hawk! That outta put that lousy ninja out of life for good!" Bryan exclaimed from what he was seeing.

But his comrades were not so sure. They resented Bryan's foolish assumption, yet he himself couldn't see that.

"Fool. We can't be sure if they are all dead. That fall may have not been as critical as what he expect" Armor King berated Bryan before suggesting what to do.

"I agree" Feng spoke up. "If we really want to find out whether they are dead, then we need to go over there and search the wreckage. That is the only way of confirming their deaths. But we also need their corpses as well" the Chinese man spoke up.

Katarina smiled at what she was hearing. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's dock this boat by the shores and then find the wreckage as soon as possible" the Brazilian woman told them.

Miguel only crossed his arms while hearing this. "Tch, I never thought you would say that" he remarked with sarcasm in his voice. But the Spanish man narrowed his eyes as he could see the forest.

Docking the boat by pulling it up the shore, the group proceeded to enter the forest and search the wreckage of the helicopter. It was easy to find where it was, given that smoke could still bee seen coming from the sky. They got closer and noticed some of the branches and leaves that was burning. This only confirmed they had reached the wreckage of the helicopter. The group surrounded it, not caring about the smoke that came out from the wreckage, let alone the fires that had begun appearing nearby.

"Mierda. That's one hell of a wreckage" Miguel remarked from what he was seeing.

"It's begun to spread fire to the nearby wood. But that fire will soon die out" Ganryu noted as he could see some of the fires dying.

"Forget about that. Let's see if their corpses are still inside" Katarina told everyone and they began searching the helicopter for any corpse they could stumble upon. Katarina was checking the pilot seats. It slightly surprised the young woman. "The pilot seats are empty" she told her comrades.

Armor King forcefully removed the helicopter's door, thus enabling them to search inside. Bryan pulled out his hand gun to see if there were any corpses he would have to dispose of. But to his outrage, there wasn't anyone to be seen in the back seat.

"What the fuck….HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE!?" Bryan angrily asked while entering the wreckage. "THERE AIN'T EVEN SIGNS OF BLOOD HERE!" he added while trying to search for any clues.

"This could mean that they escaped? But that is illogical" Feng remarked from what he was hearing.

"If they survived this crash, then they're a bunch of tough bastardos. No matter how much you look at it" Miguel said what he felt was the right description of them.

"Then maybe we should search the forest. They can't have gotten far away from this place" Armor King suggested to his comrades.

"Boa. I like that suggestion. So how about we start searching then?" Katarina told everyone with a smug smile.

But before they could even begin searching, the group heard a large clanking sound coming from the helicopter's wreckage. Bryan, who was the one nearest it began to examine what that object was.

"Something landed on this pile of scrap" Bryan said as he moved closer, yet his eyes quickly widened once he saw what that thing was. "SHIT! GRENADE!" the cyborg yelled and the entire group ran as fast as they could.

The grenade exploded and they all managed to avoid it, although they could feel the explosions aftereffect. It was quite disastrous and the group was confused about how to respond to this. But amidst this confusion, they were attacked by the unexpected.

"IT'S A SNEAK ATTACK!" Armor King yelled as he was now getting charged by King and the two wrestlers began fighting. They both held onto each other's hands in order to overpower the other. "I knew you would show yourself! Running away from a fight isn't your style" the man wearing the black jaguar mask told King.

"Really? Well, working as a mercenary for the G Corp to hunt me down is definitely not your style. And it's not your brother's style either!" King retorted before punching Armor King.

Armor King only got more furious over hearing this. "Don't you dare mention my brother! I don't want to hear you say it!" he angrily said as he charged towards King.

Bryan looked over his shoulder, yet he dodged getting slashed by the blade of Yoshimitsu by stepping backwards. And they resumed their fight. Bryan grinned. "Aw, you survived the explosion" Bryan said in a mocking gesture. "But that's only good to me, because I'll get the chance to kill you with my bare hands!" he then exclaimed with lunacy.

"You sick, unnatural man! I shall end your pitiful existence, even if I have to disobey Dr. Bosconovitch's plea!" Yoshimitsu said as his sword clashed with Bryan's knife.

Katarina was fighting Nina, and the two women were now at each other's throats. They were each confident to have the upper hand against the other.

Nina smirked. "You fight well for being such a snotty brat" the blondie told Katarina while their kicks clashed with one another. "Is this fighting style savate?" she questioned her.

The young woman only scoffed at her. "If you already know it, why bother asking? Either way, I'm not one to be taken lightly with! So I'm gonna kick your butt and send you back to wherever you came from!" Katarina told her.

Nina blocker her attack before proceeding to fend her off with a kick. "Tch, you're definitely a nuisance" she noted to herself.

Eddy was fighting Miguel, the two men clashing. As they were fighting, they both had something to say to one another, especially Eddy. The capoeira fighter kicked Miguel in the stomach before proceeding to punch him, only for Miguel to block Eddy's attack. As they were clashing, the conversation began.

"I'd rather not fight you! But since you're determined to please your employer, then you leave me no choice!" Eddy told his opponent.

"That only makes one of us! I'm not here on Kazuya Mishima's payroll! I'm only here to kill his son's ass! But you on the other hand! You are on somebody's payroll!" Miguel hit back at Eddy.

The man with dreadlocks narrowed his eyes when hearing this. "Only because Jin Kazama owes me money after I served him in the Tekken Force" Eddy told Miguel, only to be punched by the Spaniard. Something had really fired him up.

"You served in the Tekken Force?" Miguel asked while before proceeding to launch himself at Eddy. "Puta madre! Those bastardos are the ones responsible for the death of my sister! They bombed the church where she was having her wedding at like she was nothing! But my hermana was something to me!" he said before roaring at Eddy, only for the Brazilian man to send him flying sideways with a kick.

Paul was having a tough time against Feng, as the American judo fighter sure had found a quite dangerous opponent. Feng had pushed Paul to the ground, only for Paul to emerge up again facing the Chinese Kenpo fighter.

"Who the hell is that guy?" Paul asked in his head while seeing Feng standing there with a disapproving glance directed towards him. Paul gritted his teeth while readying his stance. "I'm not done yet!" he told Feng.

Feng however, was far from impressed at Paul's demeanor. "Hmmm, you talk tough. A useless quality for a self-proclaimed fighter such as you!" he told him before readying himself. "At least make this more interesting" the Chinese man told Paul.

Paul only smirked when he heard this. "You wanna have a go with me without screwing around? Fine, I'll do that. But just so we're clear, you asked for it!" Paul told his opponent before charging towards the Chinese man, who still didn't move a muscle.

Meanwhile, Panda was dealing with Ganryu. The sumo wrestler still found it weird that he was fighting a panda. But then again, this was no ordinary panda, as she was a capable fighter, especially against someone as foolish as Ganryu. Panda easily managed to fend off Ganryu, thus making the stout man fall onto his behind.

"Ugh! How can I be so easily bested by a mere bear!? It doesn't make any sense for a champion of the sumo world as myself to lose to something like that!" Ganryu exclaimed as he got up on his feet.

But Panda was furious over hearing Ganryu's comment. She resented being called a bear. As such, she charged towards the sumo wrestler, who was utterly stunned to see why Panda had such ferocity within her.

"What the…...how is that bear even…." Ganryu stopped speaking when he felt a powerful paw being given to him by Panda.

While all his allies were out fighting the enemy, Jin had managed to get out of the forest with the help of Xiaoyu. They had now arrived at some kind of a hotel with two tennis courses nearby. Xiaoyu looked back to see whether their allies were doing okay.

"We should go back to help them, Jin!" she berated him, yet Xiaoyu could see that Jin was expecting something.

"Yes, Xiao. We shall, but not just ourselves!" Jin said as two armored cars sudden parked near the building.

Out from these cars came soldiers that were dressed in the garbs and armors of the Tekken Force. But something was different with them. Even so, Xiaoyu was freaking out.

"Gah! Tekken Force!" she said while readying her combat stance, only for Jin to stop her. "Jin, what are you….." the Chinese girl was stunned to see what Jin was doing.

"Settle down, Xiaoyu. These men aren't with the Mishima Zaibatsu despite wearing the Tekken Force garbs" Jin told him before facing the soldiers. "These men are with the Tekken Force rebels, led by my half-uncle: Lars Alexandersson" the raven-haired man informed her, although Xiaoyu was still filled with so many questions on her mind right now.

 _To be continued…_


	5. The Man Who Can't Be Saved

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Part 5: The Man Who Can't Be Saved**

 _Somewhere near the Nametsu River, Iwaki, Japan_

Having barely survived the crash in the forest near the Nametsu River, Jin Kazama and his group of allies had decided to pull off a plan to escape into secrecy. The mercenaries hired by the G Coproration were after Jin, so they would have to come up with an escape route. While Nina Williams, Paul Phoenix, Eddy Gordo, Yoshimitsu, King and Panda dealt with the mercenaries, Jin along with Ling Xiaoyu would get into contact with those Jin knew he could count for support: the Tekken Force rebels. Armored cars filled with soldiers soon arrived outside the forest, much to Jin's relief. But Xiaoyu was still unsure of what to make of this.

"Tekken Force rebels? What are you talking about?" the Chinese girl asked Jin, only for the raven-haired man to give his laptop to one of the soldiers before running back to the forest.

"Worry about that later! We need to help Nina and the others with escaping here!" Jin told her while running.

Hearing this quickly reminded Xiaoyu about Panda. "Oh gosh! I completely forgot about Panda! I really need to get back there quickly and see if she's okay!" she said, not hesitating for a minute as she sprinted into the forest.

Near the wreckage of the helicopter, Jin's allies were holding up against Katarina Alves, Bryan Fury, Feng Wei, Armor King, Miguel Caballero Rojo and Ganryu. The battles were going smoothly, yet each fighter was trying to overpower the other.

"Tch, since when were you and these clowns on the G Corp's side?" Nina asked while dodging a kick from Katarina.

The woman with the sunglasses only smiled smugly in return. "Don't get the wrong idea, ma'am. We're on our side with regards to this. We each have our own motives for hunting Jin Kazama and his friends, not just for the bounty on his head" Katarina said before she was slapped by Nina, only for Katarina to return the favor.

"Either way, you're still deluded for butting into someone else's business!" Nina reprimanded her.

Katarina only scoffed at her in return. "Whatever you say, cadela" she swore at her in Portuguese, something Nina did not take kindly to.

Armor King was trying to break King's left leg, only for King to roll over him. The two masked wrestlers were still fighting, trying to overpower the other, yet Armor King was the one who possessed the fanciest moves in professional wrestling. King was probably the second fanciest.

"I think I see why your brother never bothered telling me about you" King said while growling. "You may have his appearance, but you're nothing like him! You don't even deserve to wear the title of Armor King!" the wrestler told him.

Armor King roared in return, the two men once again clashing, this time with their fists. "I AM WORTHY OF HIS LEGACY! YOU HOWEVER, ARE UNWORTHY OF YOUR PREDECESSOR'S LEGACY!" he hit back at him.

Hearing this only infuriated King. "That was your last chance! I'll show you no mercy!" King said, getting friskier with his opponent.

Yohsimitsu had tried to make a move on Bryan by using the trees to his advantage. But it was no use. Bryan's cybernetics enabled him to predict his moves. It was an endless clash between the two.

"HOW LONG ARE YOU GONNA KEEP AVOIDING ME!?" Bryan taunted his hated enemy, trying to make him come at him.

"I will not fall for your deceits once again, Bryan Fury!" the swordsman yelled as he continued battling Bryan. "This time, I will show you no mercy!" he added as he clashed with the cyborg.

"Quit yapping and fight me, you fool!" Bryan spat out in return, getting tired of hearing Yoshimitsu getting so chatty.

Miguel and Eddy were also having a battle of their own, yet Miguel's rage had only increased after knowing about Eddy being in the Tekken Force once. An angry passion sparked within the Spaniard, something Eddy found it to be extremely weird. But the capoeira fighter still held on his own.

"Control your temper!" Eddy tried to talk some sense into Miguel. "It only makes you lose focus on what you actually really want!" the man with the dreadlocks added, hoping that Miguel would have some decency within him.

Unfortunately for Eddy, he didn't. "Cállate! I don't answer a damn thing to you!" Miguel shut him before proceeding to launch himself at Eddy, only for the Brazilian man to move sideways. But still, they continued this intense fighting. "Scum like you deserve to die!" he then said with venom in his voice.

Eddy remained firm while dealing with this angry man. "Hmmm, I won't be judged for saving my master's life. Especially by a common thug like you!" he retorted, something which only made Miguel come at him harder. Even so, Eddy was still ready for him.

"Oh really? Well I'll show you how this common thug's gonna beat your ass!" Miguel hit back at the Brazilian man.

Paul was having quite difficulties with Feng, as the Chinese man seemed to continue in overpowering him. But sometimes, Paul was able to land a few punches on Feng, and this slightly surprised the Kenpo fighter.

"How you were able to last in the King of Iron Fists Tournaments is beyond me" Feng said as he stood his ground against a charging Paul. "But still, while your judo skills are to be taken notice of, they hardly impress me to the fullest" Feng added to his statement.

Paul only scoffed at him in return. "Oh yeah? Well try saying that once I've shoved my fist in your mouth!" he said while continuing running towards the Chinese man. "GET READY TO FLY, SUCKER!" Paul added to boost his confidence in his abilities.

Feng stood still, yet made his preparations for attacking Paul. "Hmmm, your ego is as big as your hair. I hope you realize what you are doing" he noted before a smug smile formed on his lips. The Chinese man couldn't deny how determined his opponent was in fighting him. "Very well, simpleton. Come on" Feng taunted Paul while doing a gesture with one of his gloves.

Ganryu was still struggling with Panda. The sumo wrestler had never himself imagined that he would get owned by someone's pet. It felt so excruciating for him to bear. He was lying on the ground while Panda was acting all high and mighty towards him.

"How could this possibly happen to me?" Ganryu wondered as he was on the verge of crying. Tears of frustration were streaming from his eyes. "Why did happen to me? What did I do to deserve this humiliation!? I just wanna go back home and continue my search for my beloved Julia!" the middle-aged man lamented to himself.

Panda could see her opponent feeling distressed and wondered on whether she was supposed to take pity on him or not. But then again, Ganryu was a strange character, someone even Panda herself had noticed. Perhaps he wasn't as spectacular as he had made himself out to be.

The fighting across the forest soon came to an end once the many soldiers of the Tekken Force rebels arrived and fired gas grenades at the G Corp mercenaries. King, Paul and Yoshimitsu thought they were with the Mishima Zaibatsu and had even planned on attacking them. But thanks to Nina, Eddy and eventually Jin vouching for them, they stopped it.

Katarina and her allies were stunned to what she was seeing here. "What the hell? What is the meaning of this!?" she angrily asked while using one of the trees for cover.

"Tch, what does it look like, smartass!? They're soldiers of the Tekken Force!" Bryan spat at her while trying to shot them with his magnum handgun. "Goddamnit! Why are they butting into my fight all of a sudden!?" the cyborg cursed as he used one of the trees for cover as well.

"Or more importantly, why are they aiding Jin and his allies?" Armor King asked. The masked wrestler had taken notice of Jin and his group being escorted to safety by some soldiers. He could also see the soldiers gradually pulling themselves out of the forest as they were out of it.

"You're not kidding! Why the hell are they aiding him!? I thought Jin Kazama was no longer in control of the Zaibatsu!" Miguel asked, feeling outraged over seeing his hated enemy escape.

They were about to chase after Jin and his group, yet one of the soldiers had fired a smoke grenade at them, thus covering the entire forest with thick smoke. That and the gas that had been fired earlier forced the group to retract back to the beach they came from. It was humiliating to say at least.

Near the building outside the forest, Jin and his group had taken their seats in one of these armored cars that had come to pick them up. As soon as everyone else was gathered they quickly drove off, soon being on the road to Iwaki. They took their time to get some relief from all this stress, given that they had narrowly survived crashing landing into the forest.

"Holy shit! We almost got ourselves toasted back there!" Paul exclaimed as everyone sat in the back of the car.

"Hmmm, you don't say" Nina spoke up.

"I'm even more surprised that we all survived the crash! I mean…..merda….my head's starting to spin all of a sudden" Eddy groaned while rubbing his head.

"I just hope we never have to do this again. Do we, Jin?" King asked, but noticed the Japanese man seeing something on his laptop. Meanwhile, Xiaoyu was still holding onto the android's head. "You seem to be surprised. Did something happen?" the wrestler asked him.

Jin nodded his head as a yes. "I've managed to hack into the android's database, and finally after trying so many times…I can't believe it" he answered, feeling stunned over accomplishing this. But even so, Jin had to smile. "Now we finally know where Artifact 333 is being held at" he revealed to his group.

All of them were stunned to hear this, as they were surprised by this turn of events. "Really? Where is it?" Xiaoyu asked while trying to look on the screen on Jin's laptop.

The raven-haired man quickly showed everyone the screen and where it was located at. "At the Mishima Zaibatsu Research and Development Center in Tokyo. They have many of these across the globe, but it seems that the artifact is closer to us than what I had first expected" Jin revealed to them.

"So that means we're breaking into the Research and Development Center? Sounds tempting and all, but it's gonna be hell of a fight" Paul told him.

"Yeah, but is it really necessary for us to do it now?" Xiaoyu asked Jin, earning her stares from everyone else. The young girl snapped. "What? I mean, I know we need to retrieve the artifact and all, but I bet all of us are tired after narrowly surviving a helicopter crash!" she then said.

"We all know that, Xiao. And that is why we will wait until midnight to break into it. Even though security is the same during day and night, we need time to recuperate from the crash landing, as well as plan our moves. These soldiers will take us somewhere safe outside Tokyo where we can do that" Jin said while his eyes narrowed a little, probably because he understood how dire the situation had become. "But beware, it won't be as easy as we think it will be. Once we break in, not only Heihahi, but also Kazuya, will be informed of this. Why have to move out quickly if we are to retrieve the artifact" Jin told everyone.

"Sounds reasonable. But we best not waste too much time at this hideout planning it. For all we know, those mercenaries we just fought will probably continue to harass us. And they will pass information to the Millennium Tower" Nina suggested to Jin. "I just can't stand having Anna or Bruce interfering once again" she added while letting out a sigh at the end.

"My sentiments, exactly" Yoshimitsu spoke up, agreeing with what Nina suggested.

"Yeah, good idea, ma'am. Once again, I'm glad to know that you're on our side" Paul spoke up while complimenting her.

Nina only narrowed her eyes at him in return when hearing this. "Don't push your luck, smartass. My loyalties are my own" she berated Paul, yet he didn't seem to care.

"Then all of us know what's at stake here" Jin reminded everyone in the armored car. "This will be our last job together. Once we're done, all of you will receive compensation. Then we can all part ways and pretend as if nothing happened" the young man informed them.

* * *

 _On a plane flying over Japan_

This giant plane was owned by the G Corporation and its most important people were now being transported back to Japan. Having just attended a celebration in Monaco, the G Corporation had managed to secure a deal with the influential Monegasque oil company: Rochefort Enterprises. But this deal didn't come without troubles. There had been a robbery at Rochefort Enterprises' HQ in Monte Carlo and some important files were stolen. The had almost been cut off, if not for Mr. Rochefort convincing the G Corp that all its oil fields would belong to him. That was an opportunity they were not willing to walk away from.

Right now, Kazuya Mishima, Anna Williams and Bruce Irvin were now enjoying themselves on the plane's suite. Given that the G Corp was filthy rich, it was only natural that it had planes so fancy as this. It was almost like a flying mansion, with bedrooms, an office a bar and a restaurant. As they enjoyed this lavishness, they soon began speaking about important matters.

"So the files were stolen, big deal" Bruce said ebfore forming a smirk. "They only contained files of what to do with Rochefort Enterprises' oil fields, nothing else" the commander of the G Corp's military wing said.

"Hmmm, you got that right" Kazuya spoke up while shrugging his shoulders. "Our latest JACK model managed to capture some photos of those agents. I recognize one of them. That meddlesome ninja calling himself Raven. What is he after now?" the red-eyed man asked himself.

"Don't know. But either way, he and that chick failed if they were looking for information related to our war efforts against the Zaibatsu" Bruce responded.

Anna was suddenly looking at a tablet and she was already feeling some tints of excitement. "Hey Kazuya, you will never guess what our people at the Millennium Tower found. It's something of great value" the brunette informed his superior.

Kazuya only held up a glass of champagne while hearing this. "I'm not in a mood for games, Anna. Just tell me what it is" he told her before taking a sip from his glass.

Anna smirked when hearing that. "Now that's more like it. From what they're telling me, it appears we're not the only one rooting around in your father's systems. There is somebody else" she revealed to him.

"Let me guess. Jin" Kazuya took a guess while putting down his glass.

"You guessed right. Your baby boy's on a treasure hunt" Anna told him before looking back at her tablet. "They're also telling me that the group of mercenaries you employed almost succeeded in capturing Jin and his group of friends. They escaped with the help of what appeared to be Tekken Force soldiers" she told him.

Bruce narrowed his eyes when hearing this. "Tekken Force soldiers? What the hell's going on here?" he asked before something hit in his head. "Wait a minute. Those soldiers, did they have a lion's head as an emblem on their uniforms?" he asked Anna.

"Well, this Katarina Alves did say something about the soldiers having an emblem on their uniforms. So I guess that's a yes. But how does this relate to this case?" she questioned Bruce.

"You know who we're talking about. That lion's head is the symbol of the Tekken Force squadron who rebelled against the Zaibatsu during the last tournament. They're operating in the shadows and are being lead by a Swedish ex-Tekken Force officer: Lars Alexandersson" Bruce told Anna.

Hearing this made Kazuya smile. "My half-brother aiding my son. Well that explains how Jin's been able to move quickly on his own. So they are working together" Kazuya remarked while hearing this. "Nevertheless, there's no need for us to pursue that rebel. Jin is trying to get something from Heihachi. That is the perfect opportunity for us to capture Jin" he then suggested, feeling so satisfied over thinking about this.

Anna also felt this within her. "Sounds great. It also means that witch Nina will accompany him as well. We can once again spend some quality time together" the brunette told him, looking forward to see her older sister, but not with roses and flowers.

"It will be fun ruining that little squirt's plans. Now where are they headed for specifically?" Bruce asked, feeling very interested in tracking down Jin's location.

Kazuya mused to himself before answering. "He's headed for the Mishima Zaibatsu Research and Development Center in Tokyo. Let's go and see what he's planning. In the meantime, let our newfound recruits be notified about Jin's location" the Japanese man revealed to them while chuckling to himself. "I am confident that they would love to help us cause ruckus in the facility" he then told his associates.

* * *

 _Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

The towering skyscraper in the Japanese capital was the main headquarters of the Mishima Zaibatsu. From there, it's CEO controlled everything, if not the entire world. Despite being briefly leaderless after the conclusion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, it was soon reclaimed by it's original architect and patriarch: Heihachi Mishima. Knowing that the Zaibatsu needed a leadership to hold off against the G Corporation's offensive, Heihachi stepped out of hiding and convinced his former underlings that he was the right man to restore the Zaibatsu to it's former glory.

When word got out about this takeover, the international community had high hopes to Heihachi reclaiming the Zaibatsu. They believed Heihachi would distance himself from Jin's warmongering actions and pursue more peaceful agendas with the Zaibatsu. But unfortunately, it didn't happen. The worldwide war resumed under Heihachi's leadership, leaving the international community completely disappointed. Heihachi saw this war as a great opportunity to reclaim the world as his own and become its undisputed ruler. To put in another way, Jin had only made way for Heihachi to fulfill his lifelong dream.

Right now, the Patriarch of the Mishima clan was now sitting in his office, although it also functioned as a war room. Many of his subordinates and soldiers could be seen watching over the map. Standing beside his table was one of Heihachi's many secretaries: Tamaki. She was now visiting Heihachi to bring him some news.

"So that's it then? Two unauthorized breaches have been identified in the network?" Heihachi asked Tamaki who quickly nodded her head as a yes. The old man was starting to get more interested in this. "Hmm, what are they searching for?" he asked her.

Tamaki kept tapping on her tablet to see what it was. "It's Artifact 666, the one currently being held at the Research and Development Center" the secretary revealed to him.

A smirk crept beneath Heihachi's moustache. It would appear that the old man knew who the hackers were, or at least one of them. And he knew very well that it was not his son Kazuya. It was someone else.

"I see. Allow them access" Heihachi then told her.

Tamaki was stunned to hear what her superior just told her. "Sir?" she asked him.

Heihachi was seen standing up from this seat and began pacing around his office, his hands rested behind his back. "The Americans have a saying, Tamaki. And it goes like this: "Give the people what they want, and they will come". That is how I plan to lure out these hackers" he told her.

Knowing better than to refuse Heihachi's command, Tamaki quickly bowed her head formally. "Right away, sit. Your wish is my command" she told him.

"And in the meantime, bring me a limousine to the HQ. I would like to take a trip to the Research and Development Center. And I'm taking with me Kuma and his Tekken Force squadron" Heihachi informed the secretary and she did it right away. But the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu soon looked to his right to see someone standing there. "I would also like you and your exorcists to accompany me as well, Claudio Serafino" he addressed the leader of the Archers of Siruis.

Claudio was now sitting on a chair near the wall, accompanied by a delegation from the Archers of Sirius. These members were both men and women, all dressed in white clothes while wearing beaked masks worn by doctors during the Black Death. The young man was eyeing Heihachi warily as he heard this.

"Hmmm, I take it this is more than just a couple of daring hackers you're dealing with. The way you smile and how you want us to accompany you" Claudio spoke up while feeling slightly distrustful of the old man. "Is it one of them? Is one of the devils coming over to this facility of yours?" the exorcist asked him.

Heihachi only grunted in return. "Heh! You will know soon enough. But then again, this may be a chance to prove you're useful in this fight. You ought to be careful not to trifle with me" he told him before continuing moving, but stopped when he decided to give some final words to Claudio. "Take whatever men you need and meet me at the lobby soon. We will arrange a welcoming party for our newfound guests at the Research and Development Center" he said before bursting out into laughing.

As Heihachi disappeared, Claudio quickly rose up from his seat and glared at the elevator the old man had vanished into. "Tch….imbecille" he muttered lowly in Italian before turning around to look at his subordinates. "You heard him. We will accompany Heihachi and defend whatever ladro we are up against" he told them and all the archers saluted to him in return.

Claudio lead his group of exorcists into the elevator that would take them to the HQ's lobby, where Heihachi and his subordinates were waiting for him. But as they waited to arrive, Claudio began looking at two of the exorcists that stood right behind him, one woman and one man. For some reason, the Italian man smiled at them smugly.

"All goes according to the plan, my friends. Forgive me if these outfits are uncomfortable for you to wear" he apologized to them.

"It does not matter. All that matter is that we gain entry to that facility without gaining suspicious from Heihachi" the man told him with a voice that was very familiar.

"Once we're inside, we best find that thing. But I am afraid Heihachi has plans for hat being" the woman spoke up with a familiar voice to Claudio.

Claudio nodded his head weakly. "We will, signora. After pretending we are to guard the outside, we will enter and free it from that pazzo's grasp. And now I get the chance to catch that demon Jin Kazama" he told them before he specifically faced the man. "But I am not sure whether this attack will attract the attention of Kazuya Mishima. But I am certain that it will" he then told him.

The masked man nodded his head at him in return. "Then let us prepare for the worst yet to come" he told Claudio.

Claudio nodded his head at him. "Bene. I expect the two of you to be that when the time comes, Shaheen and Zafina" the Italian man said, addressing the names of these two exorcists, who were actually the two Arab fighters in disguise.

* * *

 _Later, the Mishima Zaibatsu Research and Development Center, Tokyo, Japan_

Outside this building, which was not far from the Zaibatsu's HQ, soldiers of the Tekken Force were guarding it, both outside and inside the facility. Having been told about a potential attack from their enemies, these soldiers were locked and loaded. None of them would let anyone in, besides members of the Mishima Zaibatsu. And of course, Heihachi had placed his pet Kuma to lead this protection of the facility. The bear wearing the armor of the Tekken Force soldiers was instructing and supervising the soldiers.

"(Be ready, soldiers! Heihachi himself tells us about someone desiring to attack the Research and Development Center. We shall not let anyone pass, whether they're G Corp or any other enemies!)" Kuma informed them as he stood tall and acted all high and mighty.

The evening had come and everything was quiet around the facility, although the noise of the city could be heard in the background. But other than that, nothing seemed to happen. That is until Kuma and his soldiers could see something far in the distance. The bear was growing suspicious, as it came towards them closer.

"(What in the world? What is that?)" Kuma wondered.

As the lights came closer, Kuma and the Tekken Force soldiers soon realized that this was a vehicle, but not just any vehicle. It was an armored car, driving towards them in an incredible speed. The bear realized that this was the enemy.

"(The enemy's here! Open fire!)" Kuma commanded them and the soldier fired their weapons at the armored car.

Yet despite the armored car getting shot repeatedly, it wasn't enough to slow it down. It was even more shocking that it came so fast towards them. Kuma was now starting to panic a little and his subordinates followed suit.

"(IT'S HEADING TOWARDS US! TAKE COVER!)" the bear yelled as he and most of the soldiers tried to desperately move away as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, not every soldier managed to avoid getting hit by the armored car, and it proceeded to crash into the building by shattering it's doors of glass. The crash caused quite a mess in the lobby, yet the car soon stopped. Without delay, it's doors opened and Jin and his group of allies emerged out of them, ready to fight the incoming soldiers. With the exception of Yoshimitsu and Panda, everyone had changed their attires. They now wore outfits that were used during the previous King of Iron Fist Tournament.

"GO, GO, GO!" Nina said out loud as she started attacking the nearest soldier she could come across.

Yoshimitsu could see the soldiers firing bullets towards him and he decided to block them with his swords. "Foolish soldiers! Have you not heard!? Never bring a gun to a sword fight" he berated them as he blocked their shots.

"Wow, never heard that one before" King remarked as he proceeded to attack.

"So what's the plan?" Eddy asked his comrades while kicking away some of the soldiers. "Are you gonna go and retrieve it, Jin?" Eddy asked him.

The raven-haired man nodded his head as a yes. "I'm on it!" he said as he starting forcing himself into the corridor that would lead him to the place where the artifact was being held.

"You can't go there alone!" Nina told him and looked over at Xiaoyu. "Ling, go with Jin!" the blondie told her.

Xiaoyu was finished dealing with an enemy before looking at her confused. "Go? Go where?" she asked her.

"Wherever that thing is being held at. Jin will help you with that! We'll handle things here! Now go!" Nina told her and Xiaoyu did as she said.

Paul only scoffed when hearing this. "Yeah, leave others to clear up the mess. Typical Mishima move, I must say" the American fighter said sarcastically as he punched one of the attacking enemies.

"I am not sure which is worse. These armored fools or your incessant babbling" Yohsimitsu remarked from what he was hearing.

Both Eddy and King had to laugh when hearing about this, yet Paul was fuming with irritation over that comment.

"Shut it, squidboy!" Paul snapped at him.

"Then quit moving your mouth so much and help us with these soldiers!" King berated Paul, the masked wrestler already having his hands full with packs of soldiers coming towards him.

Having just managed to get up and see who it was that had broken into the facility, Kuma was stunned to see that not only was it Jin, but also Nina and Eddy, two former associates of the Mishima Zaibatsu. But he was more dismayed at the sight of Paul.

"(Ah, not that clown again! Why did Jin ever bother recruiting him!?)" Kuma asked, yet he froze once he could see someone else fighting in the lobby. The bear was feeling so enamored at the sight of Panda being there. "P-Panda…." Kuma felt his heart pumping faster, his tongue dripping with salvia.

Some of his subordinates took notice of Kuma behaving strangely and they decided to see what it was. "Ummm, sir?" one of the soldiers asked while poking Kuma. The bear was standing still, his eyes completely fixated upon Panda.

It didn't take long before the bear decided to make his move and began running towards Panda in a fast speed, bumping away soldiers that stood in his way. All that was on his mind right now was getting to Panda.

"(PANDA! MY DEAR, SWEET PANDA! I'VE COME FOR YOU!)" Kuma yelled as he was about to launch himself towards Panda.

Panda did indeed take notice of Kuma. Before he could even catch her, Panda slammed Kuma down by hitting his helmet, thus forcing the bear to stay down. The bear was getting knocked out, yet he was still feeling so much love coming from Panda. Getting hit by Panda only made it more tempting to pursue her. Kuma never understood that Panda didn't like her.

"What the hell…" Paul asked as he had managed to see Kuma. "Is that Kuma…...in a Tekken Force gear?" he asked before laughing his butt off.

He wasn't alone, as Eddy and the others soon did that as well. "You gotta be kidding me! I leave the Tekken Force and this is the best replacement Heihachi can up with!? What a joke!" Eddy expressed his opinion of this lunacy.

Nina facepalmed when seeing this. "Thank God I left the Zaibatsu sooner. That old man really is delusional" the blondie remarked to herself.

While all the fighting took place at the lobby, Jin and Xiaoyu quickly moved through the corridor, hoping to find Artifact 333. Jin knew this building better than the Chinese girl, so he would lead her the way. Right now, it would be best if Jin had someone accompany her, given how he would not fight.

"You sure this is it? You better not be bluffing with me, Jin" Xiaoyu asked him.

Jin weakly nodded his head in return and headed towards a door at the end of the corridor "I'm positive, Xiaoyu. After all, what Artifact 333 really is…is a mistake" he said as he opened the door.

"What do you by….." Xiaoyu paused as she got to see who was really being held in this room.

The one who was being held in captive by some machine was a celestial being. It was a woman with blonde hair and glowing wings of feather. This was indeed Artifact 333, or perhaps a more specific name as it was known for: Angel. She was now being treated like some form of test subject. Her eyes were closed as if she was sleeping.

Xiaoyu gasped. "Is this really the artifact? This the one called Angel?" she questioned him.

"Yes. It's the worst mistake I ever made in my life" Jin told her.

"Well that explains everything. The feather we found in the archive on Usiyi Island…it belonged to her" the young girl said while Jin nodded, agreeing with her statement. Xiaoyu looked at him. "But who is she really? Tell me more, Jin" she demanded words from him.

Sighing deeply, Jin knew he had to speak the truth. "An…...associate of my father. Or at least she was a long time ago" the raven-haired man answered her. "But above all, she's the only being alive that can neutralize the Devil Gene" he went on explaining as he decided to figure out a way to release her from this machine.

"And you locked her in an archive!?" Xiaoyu questioned him while folding her arms.

"No. I kept her safe. This is my grandfather's doing" Jin countered her statement.

Still, Xiaoyu was not sure whether to believe him. "I don't know. You think Heihachi is something that cruel. I mean, it does look like his style, but still" she was unsure, given that she had admired Heihachi in the past.

"We can speculate about this later. Help me get her down before it's too late" Jin told her while trying to figure out a way.

The two friends were in for a shock as they could hear the celestial being speak, yet her eyes were still closed. "It already is, Jin Kazama" the woman spoke with a deep voice. This caused Jin to stop what he was doing and he looked at her with an apologetic expression on his face.

"Angel…I….." Jin was unsure of what to say to this woman, trying to come up with better words to express his regrets.

"Do not apologize to me, child of destiny. Look instead to your friend" Angel told him.

This made Jin confused. "What? What do you mean by…" the young man stopped speaking once he could hear Xiaoyu as if she was getting choked by someone. He could tell that by hearing the way she tried to speak to him. Quickly turning to his right, he could see someone appear behind the machine while holding onto Xiaoyu. Jin greeted his teeth in anger. It was his grandfather. "Heihachi…." Jin spoke up grimly.

"Welcome back, grandson. Is this the part where I say I have been expecting you?" Heihachi asked before chuckling deeply to himself.

Jin narrowed his eyes into anger. "Put. Her. Down. NOW!" he demanded from him.

Heihachi only grinned sadistically when hearing this. "Heh! With pleasure!" he said before throwing Xiaoyu against the wall, leaving her stuck there while feeling the pain. The old man then refocused his attention to his grandson. "So glad you could carve out some time for us. It's been a long time since we last spoke. I heard that you disappeared into hiding after sacrificing yourself to defeat Azazel. I must say I am impressed. First you defeated Ogre, and now him" Heihachi expressed his admiration of Jin's accomplishments.

"Spare me your deceptive praises, Heihachi! It's a good thing those two are dead!" Jin retorted, still feeling the urge to fight him. "With them gone, it will prevent men like you and Kazuya from exploiting their powers to their own nefarious ends" he added.

"That's all in the past now, boy. It's only right that you are here to witness my transcendence into immortality. Family is so important, after all" Heihachi told him while looking over to Angel.

Jin felt frustration build within him, yet he tried to find balance. "Whatever you're planning, I'm not going to let you use Angel as you please" he told him calmly.

Heihachi only grunted when hearing this. "Why not? Thanks to you, she is the property of Mishima Zaibatsu, which means she belongs to me. I should actually be thanking you, honestly" the old man told him before moving over to grab Jin by his head. "Besides, how exactly will you stop me? I hear you have become a pacifist now" he added before delivering a powerful headbutt on Jin.

Jin was sent flying to the ground, yet Xiaoyu had managed to get up and make her move towards Hehiachi. The old man only glanced at Jin with nothing but disappointment in his eyes.

"How disappointing! And here I thought your fight with Azazel had toughened you into a real Mishima" Heihachi expressed his dismay over Jin.

But Heihachi was caught off guard by Xiaoyu kicking his face. "With you as a role model, who can blame him!?" she questioned him. "I always thought of you as a great man before, but now I see the real you! You're all but a miserable power-hungry madman!" Xiaoyu began expressing her dismay over what had become of Heihachi.

The old man however was not done and he proceeded to slam Xiaoyu onto the floor. He was growing tired of the Chinese girl. "For the last time, this doesn't concern you, child! When are you gonna realize that!?" Heihachi berated her as Xiaoyu lied on the floor. "Now stay down for your own good. You are nothing like Wang Jinrei if you believe you can best me!" he then told her, given that Heihachi was aware of Xiaoyu being related to the famous martial artist named Wang Jinrei.

"Leave Xiaoyu out of this!" Heihachi stopped once she could see that Jin was up on his feet. "You're right! She has nothing to do with this! The only reason she's here is because…" Jin was interrupted by Heihachi making a move on him.

"Enough of your nonsense!" Heihachi spat at him while using his right foot to stomp at Jin. "What happened to you, boy? What happened to the demon inside you?" he then wondered, unable to accept how weak-minded his grandson had become.

Jin was feeling pain not only on the outside, but on the inside as well. The Devil inside him was starting to take hold on the young man once again. "Yes Jin. What happened to us? Why cover before a mere human" the evil voice called out to the young man's mind.

"No! Not again!" Jin felt distressed as he heard that voice calling to him.

Heihachi moved over to put on what appeared to be a headband and put it on his head. It was connected with the machine that was holding Angel. However, he was also seen speaking to his grandson. "I know what it whispers to you, the poison it pours into your ear. It says to you: "Heihachi is nothing but a mere human". And it's right. I am a human. A human who has reclaimed his birthright. A human who fought his way out of hell. A human with the iron body of a god. And a human who now takes his prize" Heihachi told Jin as he wore this headband.

Jin slowly got up on his feet as he coughed. "What prize? What are you talking about?" the young man asked as he continued to cough.

Even though Angel was weakened, she still had enough strength to speak. "Do not do this, Heihachi Mishima. I implore you. The power you seek…." Angel tried to plead to him, but to no avail.

"Will be mine to command! It is time I began the next phase of my plan. Computer. Begin transfer" Heihachi exclaimed before giving the machine an order.

" _Complying_ " the machine said and something happened to Angel, as well as Heihachi. " _Transfer in process_ " the machine said once again, as a new power began forming with Heihachi. Jin was left shocked by what the old man was doing right now.

"Heihachi! What the hell are you doing!?" Jin cursed as he could see Heihachi struggling to control himself.

"Fulfilling my potential, grandson. You and that arrogant father of yours has the Devil Gene. My father Jinpachi had this evil spirit possessing him!" Heihachi said as his eyes began glowing azure blue. Even his voice had changed and wings began sprouting out of him. "But I will master the greatest power! The power of the Angel! The power of creation itself!" he roared as he was now being empowered.

Someone had just arrived in the room to see what Heihachi had been up to. It was Claudio, Zafina and Shaheen. The three fighters had struggled to come due to fighting the Tekken Force soldiers that had tried to block their path. Once they all got inside to see what it was, their eyes widened in utter disbelief from what they were seeing.

"NO!" Zafina expressed her horror. "IT CANNOT BE!" she added.

"By Allah….." Shaheen was left bewildered. "What has Heihachi done to her?" the Saudi Arabian man asked.

Claudio was utterly stunned by this himself. "Oddio….." the exorcist said as he faced Heihachi with anger in his eyes. "You unforgivable heretic! How can you do this!?" he yelled.

Heihachi was too focused on Jin to even realize the three fighters entering the room. Jin was standing his ground, trying to face Heihachi. "DAMNIT, HEIHACHI! STOP THIS NOW!" the young man told his grandfather.

Heihachi only smirked when hearing this in return. "Don't do this? Jin, this is my destiny! Everything that has happened led me to this point!" the old man said as he was slowly drifting himself into madness. He recalled what he had done in his life while grabbing hold of Jin. "Me taking over the Mishima Zaibatsu from Jinpachi. Me killing Kazumi when she tried to murder me. Kazuya being saved by that accursed Devil he inherited from her. Angel arriving from God knows where to protect him from corruption. Ha! And even the tragic mistake of you being born! It was all to bring Angel to me, so her power could be mine! And when my transformation is complete, I shall burn the Devil Gene from your blood. After I burn the flesh of your bones, of course!" the old man said while laughing like some maniac.

But before Heihachi could even incinerate Jin with his blast, an arrow of energy was being blast towards him. This interrupted Heihachi from toying with Jin and he looked to see who had been foolishly interrupting him. The old man gritted his teeth in frustration.

It was Claudio, the Italian exorcist using his strange power, so that his left eye was both black and grey. What was also noticeable was the markings that appeared around the left eye. He only smirked at the old man when seeing how outraged he had become.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" Heihachi demanded. "AND WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE!?" he then asked Claudio as he could see both Zafina and Shaheen stand there with him.

"Idiota demente! You thought I wouldn't be aware of your machinations!?" Claudio asked while preparing another arrow with his magical powers. "Well, now I'm here to officially end our agreement! I still have my dignity left in me, falso angelo!" the exorcist added to his statement.

"Your depraved acts will not go unpunished!" Shaheen told Heihachi.

The old man only growled as he began floating in the air above them. Heihachi was growing agitated by Claudio's betrayal. "You all will regret crossing paths with me! Especially you, Claudio! I will have your head on a plate when I'm finished with you!" he spoke up with nothing but contempt in his voice.

Claudio was still smirking. "Whatever you say, pazzo! Me and my friends are here to stop you and your family!" he said before firing another glowing arrow at Heihachi, only for the old man to avoid it.

Jin was surprised to see these people enter, yet he only knew one of them. It was Zafina, the woman who had tried to stop him during the last tournament. Now, she was standing there and their eyes met.

"It's you…." Jin uttered out lowly.

Zafina still gave him a cold stare. "Don't speak as if we know each other. Your actions may have saved the world, yet they have only brought in new problems!" the Egyptian woman told him before trying to avoid getting blasted by Heihachi.

While all the kafuffle took place inside the facility, something happened outside. Several armored cars arrived and parked. Also, a limousine could be seen. Emerging out of the limousine was Kazuya, who was being accompanied by Anna. Soldiers of the G Corp soon exited the armored cars and Bruce was leading them.

"Are you sure he's here, Kazuya?" Anna asked as the forces were gathered around them. "We best make sure not to do any foolish choices with regards to attacking a Mishima Zaibatsu facility" she then pointed out to him.

"What kind of question is that? Of course, they're here! Just look at the mess they made of the entrance" Bruce rebuked the secretary while

Kazuya only shrugged his shoulders as he saw the handy work Jin and his allies had made of the entrance, as well as the Tekken Force soldiers lying on the ground. "He's here, alright" he told them before looking at Bruce. "Give the order. Let none survive" he said to Bruce.

"Heh, right away, boss" Bruce said before facing his subordinates. "You heard him, men! Move out!" the American kickboxer commanded them and joined the soldiers in entering the facility.

Kazuya was about to enter, yet he paused as he could feel something invade his mind. The black-haired man stopped what he was doing and felt pain as he heard a familiar voice calling to him. Kazuya couldn't believe who it was.

"Your son is not the only one here, Kazuya Mishima. I am here as well" the celestial voice called out to him, forcing Kazuya down to his knees.

"Angel…..is that you!?" Kazuya demanded while feeling slightly pain in his head.

"What do you mean by Angel, Kazuya?" Anna asked once she saw her superior acting this strange. "Are you talking about that being who tried to help you in the past or something?" she asked, wanting to know what was really wrong with him.

The Japanese man glared at the broken entrance before him. "Yes. It is her. I recognize that voice. But after all these years…why is she showing up now?" Kazuya wondered before something hit in his head, this time a realization. "Those visions…...were they from her!? Was she the one who sent those to me!?" he then started to get the picture.

"Perhaps we may find the answer once we go inside" Anna suggested to him. Kazuya quickly ran towards the entrance. Anna, surprised to see how determined her boss was followed him without hesitation. "Hold on! Wait up!" she called out to Kazuya while chasing after him in her heels.

Inside the lobby, Nina and the others were already doing a great job in causing ruckus with the Tekken Force soldiers. But they were endless and kept swarming at the group. Even so, these fighters were resilient, especially Paul.

"Damnit. How many troops does a top security base need, anyway?" Paul cursed as he was having his hands full with some soldiers.

"Why are you asking that? Can't you handle them?" Yoshimitsu asked the American fighter.

Paul only shrugged his shoulders in return. "Can't handle them?" he said while watching one of the soldiers charging towards him. "I'm just getting started!" he exclaimed while enjoying banging these troops.

King only sighed when hearing this. "What a showoff" the wrestler remarked before punching an enemy in his stomach.

"I'm glad to hear you're enthusiastic about this, Phoenix" Nina complimented Paul as she looked over her shoulder to see a group of G Corp soldiers arriving in the lobby. But they weren't he only one. Kazuya, Anna and Bruce could be seen leading them. "Great, just when things couldn't have gone more complicated" the assassin remarked.

"The G Corp?" Eddy asked while seeing Kazuya and his associates leading their soldiers. "Droga! They had to arrive of course!" he cursed under his breath.

Kazuya formed an evil smile when seeing them all gathered here. "So glad that you all arrived here. That only makes it easier for my men to kill you all!" he then commanded his soldiers to open fire.

The G Corp soldiers opened fire, eliminating anything that stood in their way. But the Tekken Force soldiers only returned the favor by doing the same thing. Amidst this shootout, the fighters had quickly sought to find something to use as cover. Eddy, King and Yoshimitsu hid behind the table that could be seen in the lobby.

"Mierda! That this is getting harder than I thought!" King cursed before noticing that something was missing. "And where are Nina, Paul and Panda?" the wrestler asked his comrades.

"I saw them using the car for cover. But we should worry more about us than them" Yoshimitsu answered.

"Then we will wait until those soldiers are out of ammo. Then we can…" Eddy snapped once he, King and Yoshimitsu could notice something. A female member of the Tekken Force was hiding in the same place as them. She had been hiding behind them and was sitting against the wall. This young woman had taken off her helmet, thus revealing her face for them to see. She wore a red ribbon on her head. "What the…..how did you get here!?" the Brazilian man asked her.

This woman was Josie Rizal. Surprisingly, she awed at the sight of Eddy, much to his confusion. It was as if she knew him somewhere from before.

"You're…Eddy Gordo…..yes?" Josie asked him.

Eddy had to admit he was surprised to hear her say that, yet he quickly gave her a dirty look soon after. "Yeah. That's me. What about it?" Eddy rudely asked her, knowing she was an enemy of his.

"Relax, I'm just curious" Josie insisted to him while smiling. "You see, I know about your previous membership in the Tekken Force" she told him.

Eddy grew more agitated by hearing this. "So what? What the hell does that matter to you?" he asked her once again.

"She must be an admirer of you, perhaps" King told him.

Eddy raised an eyebrow when hearing this. "An admirer?" he quizzed.

The pondering was interrupted when an explosion appeared near the table the four were hiding at. It caught them by surprised and they were moved against the wall because of this. Looking back, the fighters could see who was responsible for this. It was Bruce Irvin, who had fired a grenade launcher at them. He only chuckled sadistically when seeing the four getting ratted out of their hiding place.

"Hiding like a pack of rats I see. How disappointing!" Bruce exclaimed before throwing his weapon away. "Well, playtime's over now, pet rats of Jin Kazama!" he added to his exclamation.

Nina had emerged out of hiding and had begun fighting Anna, the two sisters starting their deadly catfight throughout the lobby. They tried to overpower the other, but to no avail. Both women were fighting against the other on equal terms.

"You're such a disappointment!" Anna spat as she and Nine held hands, trying to push against each other.

Nina didn't seem to care what her sister thought of her. "I could say the same, sister" she told her before kicking her in the stomach and proceeding to attack her back, only for Anna to counter this move.

Meanwhile, Kazuya began confronting Paul. "Paul Phoenix. For a man who claims to hate my family, you sure spend a lot of time hanging around my son" he told him as they both clashed.

Paul only grunted in reply. "Only cuz he's paying me, big boy. Otherwise, I would've kicked his ass the same way I'm gonna do to you right now!" the American fighter snapped as he delivered a powerful punch at his opponent. Paul grinned. "Times are hard, and so are my fists!" he then exclaimed to boost his confidence.

Kazuya was far from impressed by the attack. "Really? That is the best you can do? I'm most certainly disappointed" the black-haired man told him.

Paul however only smirked and prepared his fighting stance once again. "Like I need feedback from you!" he told him and ran straight towards Kazuya, who did the same thing in return. "The only thing I need is to beat you in a combat!" he taunted as he ran.

Kazuya only huffed in return when hearing this. "Fine. Then do your worst, clown!" he told Paul as they clashed.

Back in the room where Angel was being held, Heihachi was still on a rampage to defeat not just Jin, but also Claudio and his friends. The old man was growing agitated by these intruders, yet he didn't seem worried about his plans failing. Heihachi fired this beam across the room.

"How long will it take for each and everyone of you to die!?" Heihachi bellowed up from the air. "It's hopeless to resist me! My transfiguration is finally complete!" he then exclaimed before laughing up in the air.

Jin avoided the beam, but the young man knew the only way he could stop Heihachi, was to free Angel. Xiaoyu was struggling to get back on her feet, yet she was helped by Zafina. Meanwhile, Claudio and Shaheen did their best to avoid getting attacked by the Mishima Patriarch. Heihachi was about to dive towards his enemies, only to be stunned once something happened to is wings and powers. They vanished! Heihachi fell onto the floor, yet he could hear the voice of Angel calling to him.

"That is enough chaos for now" the celestial woman spoke up.

Heihachi groaned as he got up to his feet. "The power. My power…...this cannot be!" the old man was outraged over loosing it as he faced Angel.

Angel's eyes finally opened and she was focused on Heihachi. "And yet it is. My power will never be yours, Heihachi Mishima. You have been judged unworthy of its use!" she firmly told Heihachi.

Heihachi tried to tap onto the computer in hopes of regaining his power. "Unworthy!? I spit upon your judgements, woman! I am worth ten of you! This power will be mine! I shall soar into the sky and all shall see my glory as this world's future ruler!" he angrily berated Angel while trying to get the power back.

"Want to fly?" Heihachi stopped once he could hear the voice of Xiaoyu coming from behind. Before he knew it, the Chinese girl delivered a kick from above, forcing Heihachi to stay down. "Here! I made you fly now!" Xiaoyu told him.

With Heihachi being out of commission, Xiaoyu hurried back to help Jin up. The two friends were walking over to help free Angel, yet they were interrupted once one of Claudio's arrows almost hit them. Jin and Xiaoyu turned to the right and saw Claudio standing there alongside Shaheen and Zafina.

"You won't take a step near her, Jin Kazama!" Claudio told him. "Make one move and I will fire again!" he warned the pair, even though the warning was more reserved for Jin.

Jin only gritted his teeth in irritation when hearing this. "Damnit! I don't have time for this bullshit!" the young man cursed as he defied Claudio's warning. He and Xiaoyu quickly walked over to Angel, and began dismantling the chains. Claudio was preparing another arrow in the process. "Don't worry. We'll get you out of here" Jin assured Angel.

"No" Angel spoke up slowly, yet she did the unthinkable towards Jin. She blasted Jin with her energy, sending him flying to the ground. "DO NOT TOUCH ME!" she yelled at him.

Everyone in the room was stunned to see this. Claudio even ceased making his arrow, the young exorcist surprised to see how Angel still had enough power to attack someone.

"This was her doing" Zafina noted lowly.

"Yes. Incredible" Shaheen agreed with what she said.

Xiaoyu couldn't believe her eyes. She ran over to check on Jin and could see that he was still alive. However, the young girl was furious with Angel and glared at the captured woman.

"Why did you do that!? He was trying to help you!" Xiaoyu snapped at her.

Angel managed to lift up her head, glaring at both the young girl and her friend lying beside her. "Help me? Was that when he clipped my wings and locked me in a cage!? And for what reason!? Because the moment he learned of my existence, he feared my light would be used against his war on creation! All I sought was to rid Kazuya Mishima of the Devil Gene. Did I deserve this torture!? This indignity!?" the woman angrily voiced her frustration over what Jin had done to her.

Jin, who had finally awoken from the attack, glanced at her apologetically. "No. You did not deserve this treatment. And for that, I am sorry" he apologized before showing Angel the marking of the Devil Gene on his left arm. "I've done so many things I am not proud of, because of the Devil that consumes me. That's why I came here. I need you to heal me, Angel. I need you to set me free!" the young man pleaded to her, probably one of the rarest moments he was being honest.

Despite hearing this, Angel remained far from moved in hearing Jin's pleas. She closed her eyes. "Still, it is all about you. You who are past restitution. You who are already consumed" Angel spoke up before she opened her eyes once again, this time glowing brightly. "THE WORLD MUST BE RID OF YOU! ALL OF YOU! YOUR VICTIMS WILL FIND PEACE! YOUR FAMILY WILL BE CLEANSED! YOU WILL BE FREED OF YOUR CURSE AND WITH IT, YOUR LIVES!" she yelled determinedly, her voice ringing hallows in the room.

Even now, a strange feeling could be felt inside the building. Everyone who fought took notice of it. In the lobby, those soldiers of both the Tekken Force and the G Corp who had been shot to death suddenly began floating in the air. Somehow, they were being resurrected by Angel herself. It astounded everyone in the lobby.

"Dios mio…." King uttered lowly by what he was seeing. "The soldiers…" he was at loss of words.

"Are coming back to life!" Paul exclaimed as he could see the resurrected soldiers gaining feathered wings,

Nina gritted her teeth in frustration and looked towards the direction where Jin and Xiaoyu had taken. "Damnit! This must her doing! What the hell's going inside!?" she wondered to herself.

The army of resurrected soldiers began flying towards the room Angel was being held in. They even tore down the wall that separated them from the lobby. However, some of the soldier turned their attention on the group of fighters as well. They couldn't believe they were now fighting soldiers empowered by Angel.

"Fighting resurrected soldiers!? That's physiological torture for sure!" Bruce yelled as he was fighting one of them. But he noticed something else. "And where the hell is Kazuya!?" he asked Anna, who quickly got to his side.

"He said he would go and check out things with this Angel. Turns out it was here Heihachi had captured" the brunette told him.

Bruce only grunted in return. "Freaking smartass!" he said before dodging a beam fired by one of these resurrected soldiers. "Shit! They almost got me!" he cursed in frustration.

"I have never seen this type of resurrection before in my lifetime!" Yoshimitsu exclaimed as he tried to avoid getting hit by their beams. "If Angel is capable of such things…..then she is indeed a dangerous adversary" he told his comrades.

"Tch, under what theory was it okay for him to capture and imprison a being with the power to resurrect the dead!?" Eddy angrily asked as he tried to fight one of the soldiers. "I this is how she means by resurrecting the dead, then I would be wise not to let him near my master! He deserves better!" the capoeira fighter exclaimed.

Inside the room where Angel was being held, Heihachi had just gotten up after getting attacked by Xiaoyu. He could notice how the wall that separated this room from the lobby had been destroyed. And in came hordes of resurrected soldiers floating in the air. It was a shocking discovery.

"Oddio….." Claudio couldn't believe his eyes. "These soldiers…they have been…" the exorcist was not sure what to make of this.

"Resurrected…..they have been resurrected…..brought back from the dead" Zafina spoke as she glanced at the horde floating above them. "So this is the power of the Angel?" she wondered, the Egyptian woman having never seen this in her lifetime.

"Allah help us…." Shaheen said as he faced the woman with an angered expression in his eyes. "You. How can you do this!? These men don't deserve to endure such torture! They deserve to rest in peace!" he Saudi Arabian man angrily yelled at Angel.

"ENOUGH!" Angel yelled, her loud voice ringing halls in the room once again. "NOBODY WILL QUESTION MY DUTIES EVER AGAIN!" she added to her anger.

The soldiers began fighting their targets and those who could fight did defend themselves, including Heihahci, Xiaoyu and Claudio. But the only one who remained still was Jin. He was onto his knees, feeling very traumatized by all this.

Heihachi could see this and became frustrated. "Jin! Stop cowering like a frightened puppy and help us!" the old man told Jin, yet his grandson remained still. Heihachi grew more agitated. "Damnit, Jin! Are you even listening to me!?" he yelled at him.

Jin was lowering himself onto the floor, feeling defeated. His morale had shattered completely. "No! Angel is right! This is what I deserve!" the young man said, wanting to die right now. As a matter of fact, one of the resurrected soldiers were about to attack him and Jin did not move a muscle. But the soldier was grabbed on his foot by someone Jin had least expected to see. It was Kazuya.

"You ignorant fool! You are a Mishima!" Kazuya berated the young man before throwing the soldier away from his son. "Wrongdoings runs in the family!" the red-eyed man added to his explanation.

Shaheen's eyes narrowed at the sight of Kazuya. "Kazuya Mishima…that demon…" the Saudi Arabian man spoke lowly as he was trying to defend himself from the attackers. His mind was very conflicted right now, yet he had to focus. "No! I can't seek retribution for my friends, yet. Right now, I need to deal with these enemies, even if it means fighting alongside that man" he told himself.

Zafina had taken notice of Shaheen's struggle. However, she felt proud for his choice in not seeking vengeance for his friend yet. "Hmm…..you intrigue me…Shaheen" she noted to herself before dodging a blast from one of the enemies.

Angel snapped from what she was seeing, immediately recognizing the man she had once tried to save from the Devil. "Kazuya!" she exclaimed, surprised to see him arrive at her location.

Kazuya briefly glanced at Angel, yet didn't pay much heed to her. He only huffed before proceeding to attack the resurrected soldiers coming at him in groups.

Despite seeing his hated father being present, Jin didn't pay attention to him. He was still feeling demoralized. But Heihachi and the others did in fact take notice of Kazuya's entrance, and the old man grinned as he watched his son arrive.

"Heh! And so we are reunited! Father and son, standing shoulder to shoulder once again!" Heihachi exclaimed with sarcasm in his voice.

Kazuya only scoffed in return. "Don't get sentimental on me, old man! I'm intervening here out of necessity, nothing more! Once this is over, I'll happily rip out your body limb from limb!" the Japanese man spoke with hatred towards his father.

Despite being spoken to like this from his son, Heihachi didn't seem to mind at all. "I wouldn't have it any other way! At least you know how to fight, unlike that sniveling whelp of yours!" the old man began insulting Jin.

Jin was trying his best to battle the devil inside him. But Heihachi's insults did not help him in anyway. It only made him angrier and easier for the Devil to take hold on him. "No! Don't listen to them! Leave my mind alone!" the young man was trying to battle his inner demon.

"Why not? They mock you, Jin. They mock us" the evil voice called out to Jin.

Kazuya could see how pathetic his son was behaving, and it only filled him with nothing but disappointment for Jin. "He has NOTHING to do with me! Look at him! Not even half the fighter his mother was!" he spoke up, joining Heihachi in insulting Jin and his newfound pacifist way.

The moment Jin heard what came out of Kazuya's mouth, his mind fell apart. He no longer had the strength he needed to fight the Devil and he gave in to his anger. "Did you hear that, Jin? Did you hear what he said? How can he insult your mother like that? Do not forget that it is because of him leaving her that she is dead" the voice called out to Jin once again.

"ENOUGH!" Jin angrily yelled and unleashed his power.

A dark and red energy began sprawling across Jin's body. With a quick burst, the Japanese man was transformed into something dangerous. Black markings came on his forehead and chest, claws emerging from his gloves and two black-feathered wings sprouting out of his back. He had now done it. Jin had now given in to the Devil Gene, and had become this powerful monstrosity. The young man yelled as he began attacking any soldiers that came across him.

Heihachi could see this and watched with pride as his grandson decimated the attackers. "Now this is what I've been waiting for! My grandson finally lives up to his potential!" he said while seeing Jin in action.

Kazuya only huffed when seeing this. "In time to save your miserable hide, perhaps?" he insultingly asked his father.

"And yours, my dear son of mine. I am almost glad you fathered this little runt!" Heihachi exclaimed to Kazuya.

He only responded by glaring at the old man deadly. "Watch it, or I'll end your life with one blow!" he threatened Heihachi.

Xiaoyu was worried over seeing her friend becoming this monstrosity. She also watched how easily Jin took care of the resurrected soldiers. "Jin….." she watched him decimate the attackers.

"Oddio…." Claudio exclaimed as he saw Devil Jin terrorized his enemies. "This is exactly what I have been wondering about. Is Jin Kazama almost as powerful or more powerful than Kazuya? It's hard to tell, but this dark aura…he is definitely a dangerous demon" the exorcist pondered on what to make of Jin.

Once Jin was done with the soldiers, he descended down towards the group underneath him glancing briefly at his father and grandfather with his cold glare. "I don't have time for this foolishness! For once, neither of you are mine concern!" Jin told both Kazuya and Heihachi before directing his gaze towards Angel. "You want your freedom, Angel? Then you can have it" he spoke coldly and proceeded to fire his beam at the machine to free Angel.

"Yes Jin! She is your enemy here! Not that worthless family of yours!" the Devil inside Jin called to him. "Now eliminate that woman! Grind her bones to dust!" it then demanded.

Devil Jin kept glaring at her with his bright eyes. "You were my last hope, but now I see for what you truly are. A failure. You say you were sent here to rid us of this curse, and yet look how you failed. I was born a monster, and no matter how hard I try…will remain a monster to my dying day!" Jin told her, for the first time being himself while in his Devil form.

With Angel finally free from captivity, she was able to use her full power to strengthen herself. All the soldier's who had been resurrected by her had their powers taken way. Angel directed her wrath upon Jin, determined to fight him.

"You are wrong, Jin Kazama…ABSOLUTELY WRONG!" Angel yelled as she charged towards Jin.

The young man was now being pushed against the ceiling and outside the building. He couldn't let go of her, as Angel kept pushing him to the air. The two were now having an aerial fight in the skies above Tokyo, with nothing but tall skyscrapers surrounding them.

"Only those who wish to be free can truly be free!" Angel berated her opponent as they were both high above ground level. "You had a choice. You could have turned from fear, but you let it rule your heart. You let it win" the blonde-haired woman told him.

Jin gritted his teeth as he heard what she said. "You're lying! That never happened with me! You have no right to pretend you understand me! You don't know a damn thing! You couldn't even save me!" he yelled at her.

Angel remained unsympathetic to him. "You blame everyone for what has happened to you. Your father, your grandfather….and even me" she reminded Jin.

"Of course, I am blaming you all, bitch! It's because of you I am like this monstrosity!" Jin cursed at her with such vulgarity not commonly seen by him. "I didn't get to choose how my life was supposed to be!" he then told her.

"What I just told you is the truth, young one. You were the one who imprisoned me. You could have petitioned me for help at any time. But you were afraid" Angel went on explaining what went wrong with Jin.

"I FEAR NOTHING!" Jin yelled as he fired his beam towards Angel.

Instead of trying to dodge the beam, Angel fired her own to counter Jin's. The two beams were now clashing and it was a battle that raged in the skies. "You fear who you would be if you stopped, Jin Kazama. If you stopped fighting. If you stopped listening to he who rages in your heart. The Devil you have allowed to define your life…..and the lives of everyone you meet" Angel spoke up to Jin once again.

Jin grew more agitated by hearing her words, so he tried to give everything he had to eliminate Angel. "IT'S TOO LATE FOR ME! THERE IS NO WAY OUT OF THIS AGONY!" Jin yelled towards her.

"Only because you are blind to your own lies. I sought to free your father, but he is already lost. I see that now. There is too much of Heihachi in him than there is of his mother…..whom I believed had more decency in her lifetime" Angel then revealed to Jin while briefly mentioning Kazuya's mother, whom Jin didn't pretty much know about it himself.

Even so, Jin was still determined to eliminate Angel. "So because you failed him, you refuse to save me!?" he asked angrily before empowering his beam. "I'LL INCINERATE YOU!" he then yelled.

Angel had also begun to empower her beam, and she was not keen on giving up. "There is someone who can bring you peace. And only one who can break your curse" she told him.

Hearing this only softened Jin's mind of hatred. Was Angel now trying to help him right now? This time, he really wanted to know more from the celestial being. "Who? Who can break it!?" he demanded an answer out of her.

The two powerful beams that were clashing soon created destabilization and it was on the verge of exploding. But Jin could see a gentle smile forming on Angel's face right now. Why was she doing that. Jin couldn't know why.

"You, Jin Kazama. You" Angel gave her his answer.

As she did that, an explosion erupted in the skies above Tokyo. It was quite big and everyone in the city could see it. A thick cloud of smoke appeared and out from it, it began raining black and white feathers. The people were confused to all of this, yet those who fought in the Zaibatsu's facility were well aware of what had just transpired. A battle had just ended and once again, Jin Kazama, the world's most wanted man, was now gone. But was he really dead? It could be either a yes or a no. But then again, the first chapter of the Mishima blood feud, was now over. And a new one was soon to come.

 _To be continued…_


	6. A World Awakens

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Part 6: A World Awakens**

 _On giant screens all across the world_

The recent event happening over the skies of Tokyo brought immediate attention throughout the of the main reasons was due to the fact that Jin Kazama had been spotted, although not in his usual self, of course. In each important city in the world, people were notified by this through the screen, and it was not just Tokyo. People in Shanghai, New York, London, Paris and all cities across the globe were notified of the news and the international media spread it throughout the world. A man dressed in a tuxedo was the one bringing the news for everyone to hear. He even showed them amateur pictures of the events. Some of the pictures were good enough that it even revealed a picture of Devil Jin, thus identifying his face.

" _In a shocking turn of events since Heihachi Mishima's takeover of the Mishima Zaibatsu, a man, who closely resembles former CEO Jin Kazama, was spotted flying in the skies above Tokyo, battling what appeared to be another winged creature. While we cannot verify whether that man was indeed Kazama, his recent reemergence is a surprising twist. The entire world had assumed him to have died in a battle in the Middle East. In any event, all eyes are on the G Corporation and Mishima Zaibatsu, given that the fight were seen taking place near one of the Zaibatsu's facilities. Spokespersons from either company refused to comment on the matter when approached by our journalists. But whether this changes the ongoing battle between the Zaibatsu and the G Corp, remains to be seen. For now, we are all still living in a divided world"_

Those were the news international media informed. People across the globe had different reactions to this. Some were curious, others were not interested at all. But if there was something all those men, women and children had in common, it was a question of whether this war would continue or not. They didn't know who to trust in this conflict, despite the G Corp presenting itself as the last line of defense against the Zaibatsu's onslaught. But then again, the people of the world wanted more than empty words from whoever the world's savior was.

* * *

 _Inside the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan._

Heihachi Mishima was not in a good mood at his office inside the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ. Those gathered before him were careful to keep their distance between them and the angry old man. Ever since the events at the Zaibatsu's Research and Development Center, Heihachi had felt his chance of reclaiming the world as his own slipping away. It haunted him and made the old man only more agitated by the minute. All the secretaries, commanders and officers snapped as Heihachi slammed his handpalms on his desk.

"DAMNIT! HOW CAN THIS EVEN BE!?" Heihachi angrily exclaimed while recalling what had transpired at the facility. "My chance of obtaining immortality…...eliminating the Devil Gene…...as well as conquering the world, RUINED!" he yelled at the last word and slammed his fist on the table.

One of the secretaries named Tamaki was now watching outside the office's window. She could see the crowd of journalists from different news organizations that were demanding to know more from Heihachi personally. However, they were kept outside by soldiers of the Tekken Force. None of them would dare pick a fight against the infamous military wing of the Mishima Zaibatsu.

"It's quite a chaos below us. The media wants to know more about the incident at the facility, sir" Tamaki explained to him while adjusting her glasses.

The old man only groaned in irritation when hearing this. "They only need something to write in order to hold onto their jobs! I won't entertain them with such journalistic gimmicks!" Heihachi told her while he looked down at a newspaper on his desk. Its front page was all about the fight between Jin and Angel and an amateur picture of Devil Jin could be seen. Another picture of Jin during his time as the Zaibatsu's CEO was also added to that case. Seeing the face of his grandson only infuriated the old man. The title of the newspaper was: "EX-CEO OF MISHIMA ZAIBATSU SPOTTED ABOVE TOKYO SKYLINE". Once again, Heihachi slammed his hand on his desk, this time hitting the newspaper and the picture of Jin. "Damn you, Jin! It's because of you I am in this mess! I should have killed you long ago!" he then expressed his frustration of this problem he was in.

Among those present in the meeting was Kuma, Heihachi's ever loyal pet. He along with some members of his squadron had been summoned by his master to be informed about their next move. The moment Heihachi's gaze met his, Kuma immediately saluted to him in return.

"(MASTER!)" Kuma spoke up, the bumbling bear trying his best to sound conscientious as possible.

"Kuma. I want you and your squadron to take a little "trip" to the Bahamas. It appears that I now need to rethink our strategies with regards to our enemies" Heihachi told him as he moved over to the map were soldiers were already observing how the battles went on. "There is no question in my mind that Violet Systems will ally itself with the Tekken Force rebels soon. I can't let them gain an ally outside Japan. That is why I want you to attack Violet System's HQ on the Bahamas. And search through Lee's mansion outside Nassau as well. I need all information I can get on whether he retains some form of contact with that rebel Lars Alexandersson!" Heihachi explained what Kuma would do.

Kuma was surprised by Heihachi's sudden focus on Lee. But knowing better than to refuse his master, Kuma saluted before him in return once again. "(It shall be done, master)" the bear in Tekken Force gear and armor told him.

"Good. I expect you and your squadron to perform a better job than what you did at the facility" Heihachi said lowly, still facing Kuma and his squadron. But Heihachi suddenly had an idea and decided to do something. He smiled at his pet. "As a matter of fact, I think I know just what you and your squadron need for this mission. What you need, is second-in-command" he informed Kuma.

This made Kuma furrow his head. "(A second-in-command?)" the bear asked Heihachi. "(But there are so many soldiers in my ranks. Why would I need that?)" he asked him once again.

"Quit being pessimistic, Kuma! Someone like you could learn well from having such! Like for example, you need someone who can remind you of your duties in case you're forgetting them" Heihachi told his pet bear before surveying the many soldiers, both men and women, lined up beside the bear. "And I think I have chosen the prefect one to take that responsibility. I personally nominate…Josie Rizal for that position" he said, his smile never fading away.

Josie, who stood amongst the Tekken Force soldiers, quickly snapped in surprise. Her comrades only distanced themselves from her, not believing what their superior had just said. The young woman in the Tekken Force armor and garb looked to see both Kuma and Heihachi facing her. It made her nervous.

"M-Me!?" Josie spoke up, struggling to find peace within her. "B-But why!? I mean, I'm n-not that particularly good in….." Josie stopped as she could see Heihachi appear right before her.

"Don't be silly, little girl! You are just what I am talking about! You have talents in fighting and a good attitude!" Heihachi assured her before forming a reassuring grin at her. "And imagine all the money you will earn once being the second-in-command. Surely you can't decline a wonderful opportunity such as this, right?" the old man then tried to goad her into it.

The moment Josie heard what Heihachi told him, she quickly realized what he meant by that. "Wait. Is he saying that my pay will be higher?" she exclaimed in anticipation. As Josie did that, she was immediately reminded about her family back on the Philippines. She knew the very reason for why she entered the Tekken Force. And now, she had the opportunity to earn more money and help her family out of financial difficulties. "I gotta do this! The more money I earn, then the better my family can afford things" Josie told herself.

"Well, what do you say to that, Mrs. Rizal?" Heihachi asked her, only to be given a salute in return, thus surprising him.

"Sir! I'll be honored to become Commander Kuma's second-in-command! Anything to protect the interests of the Mishima Zaibatsu!" Josie gave him her answer. She also made sure to salute Kuma, even though the bear was also surprised at her behavior.

Heihachi had to chuckle with pride as he heard her say that. "Finally! My spirits are lifted to hear you say this!" Heihachi told her before looking at Kuma, the bear saluting at him once again. "You have your orders, Kuma! Search the Bahamas for Lee Chaolan and any important information you can find. And once again, I ask that you bring him to me alive! I cannot risk in ruining the Zaibatsu's image by killing Lee" he told the bear.

"(YESSIR!)" Kuma responded in return and looked at his subordinates. "(You heard him, soldiers! We have a mission to accomplish move out!)" he told them.

"That's right, everyone! We better do as the commander tells us!" Josie suddenly stepped in and gave orders to the soldiers.

Kuma was surprised by this, given how Josie had feared him the first time they met together. Perhaps this was a time to get better acquainted as comrades. That was if Josie wasn't afraid of him. Nevertheless, they moved out, leaving Heihachi to ponder on the next move with his associates and followers.

The current Patriarch of the Mishima clan knew that the G Corporation and its CEO would soon make their move as well. Hopefully, Heihachi would eliminate his enemies without letting Kazuya know of it. But that was unavoidable. This was a different kind of warfare.

* * *

 _Somewhere near the idyllic Guilin Mountains, China_

The sun was rising in the fertile fields near the Guilin Mountains in China. One could never deny the wonder of witnessing the sun rise beyond the top of these mountains. Even those who weren't nature lovers would awe at the sight. It was always refreshing for people to sit and feel the sun shine upon them. Among those people was an elderly Chinese man, dressed in white robes while wearing black shoes and an ornate headgear. Before the sun came up, this old man was closing his eyes while feeling the air in the morning. But the moment the sunshine came, his weary eyes opened. It was apparent that he was expecting the sun to arrive in the skies.

"What a lovely morning" a few words came out of the old man's mouth. But that smile soon turned into a sad frown. "If only it was like this everywhere in the world" he lamented the current situation of the world.

This elderly man was Wang Jinrei, a kind-hearted merchant. But that was not what he was perhaps known to be throughout China and the world of martial artists. He was a legendary fighter and a master in Xin Yi Liu He Quan. Despite his old age, Wang could be a deadly foe if one was foolish enough to challenge him. People all across China knew him for his reputation. He also had participated in four King of Iron Fist Tournaments. While he would have preferred to stay retired, there was one thing that made him participate in those tournaments: his best friend Jinpachi Mishima.

Wang and Jinpachi had gone from being rivals to become the best of friends. Both men first met one another while young, determined to battle and surpass the other. In the end, Jinpachi won. But that didn't end with Wang developing resentment towards him. Instead, the two became inseparable, with Wang become a close friend of the Mishima clan. Both men had many similarities, as they both placed a great value in honor. But little did Wang know that everything Jinpachi stood for would be tarnished by his offspring, particularly his son: Heihachi.

"Jinpachi…my old friend" Wang was now reminded about the fate that had befallen on him. True, Wang had entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 to save his friend from whatever curse that had taken over him. But he lost to Jin Kazama, Jinpachi's great-grandson. Since then, he had learned everything about what happened to Jinpachi and how Jin killed him, as well as declaring war on the entire world while being the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu. "Was it my negligence that led to your family in tainting your legacy?" Wang suddenly asked himself.

Since the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, Wang had learned everything, about the reason for this war, as well as Jin's sacrifice to defeat Azazel. Even so, nothing changed the elderly man's opinion of Jin. Wang recalled how he fought Jin's mother Jun Kazama during the King of Iron Fist 2, yet he lost to her during their duel. That woman was a remarkable fighter, something even Wang had to admit. But after learning about Jin being her son, Wang saw no similarities between the two. Jin was more Mishima than Kazama. Both him and Kazuya, like Heihachi, were staining Jinpachi's legacy. However, he had grown to respect the Tekken Force rebel named Lars Alexandersson, due to his bravery in defying Jin's leadership. He had hoped on whether the young man would seek him out once again. But for now, living in peace and away from the worldwide conflict was what mattered most to Wang.

Having felt enough sun on his face, Wang returned to his home, which was apparently a tulou owned by him. Being a merchant and a master fighter sure earned him quite a reputation and a fortune. Tulous were the homes of Chinese noble families in old times. Along the way, Wang passed by some young children playing in the streets of the village, as well as young men and women striving to support their families and loved ones. China was a large country and the desire to make a living could even be seen in the countryside, not just in the large cities.

Wang was glad that he didn't live in those cities, as he didn't find the overcrowded spaces and the pollution to be satisfying. The fields and mountains were all he needed to remain satisfied.

When arriving home, Wang began meditating inside the tulou. He enjoyed the atmosphere that existed inside it. Even though it was a lonely lifestyle, Wang appreciated it. He was now getting older and could barely even remember the days that had passed, not to mention the backpains he suffered. However, he could still remember the great events, including the ongoing war that raged throughout the world.

"I am getting too old for this. If I was younger, I would have used every gut in my body to end this ceaseless conflict" Wang thought, not saying anything as he kept meditating. "Will it ever end? If not, only a miracle could turn this conflict around. However, I believe that hope has vanished in the eyes of the people" he added to himself.

"All hope is not yet lost" Wang's weary eyes opened, and he quickly turned around to see who was standing in the tulou with him. It was a young and beautiful woman with long black hair with a full fringe and was tied in a large Japanese bun. Her eyes were brown. She wore a white short sleeved traditional kimono dress with a red rope tied on each side of her shoulders and a red ribbon attached to the back of her shirt which was connected to a red rope and a gray diamond designed obi which was tucked into her kimono dress. She also wore a white and red fingerless gauntlet with a golden shell design tied in red ribbons on each side underneath her arm and wrists. And finally, the woman wore a white tabi which was tied in red ribbons and traditional Japanese geta and had a Mishima Zaibatsu insignia at the center of her waist. "This world is not yet done for. That I can assure you" the woman told Wang.

Wang rose up from his seat and couldn't help but to gasp slightly in what he was seeing. "It cannot be….." Wang spoke up lowly, slowly starting to recognize that woman. "Are you…Kazumi…Kazumi Mishima?" the old man asked her.

The woman smiled as she heard him say that. "I am humbled you still remember me, Master Wang Jinrei. Even now, I never forget your wisdom" she told him.

"But you died…you are….no….it is not possible" the Chinese man said lowly, unable to accept the fact that a woman who had been dead for many years was standing in his tulou.

"I am all but a spirit who has been sent here to warn you, revered master. This world will not continue to dwell into chaos as long as both Heihachi and Kazuya war against each other. Their hatred is ruining this world" Kazumi informed Wang, who was still not getting it. For some reason, she slightly lowered her head in shame. "But there is more to this feud. Not only is this a battle between father and son. As a matter of fact….I am also the true reason for all this bloodshed. It began with me…and it will end with either Heihachi or Kazuya killing each other. Sometimes, I regret that I even was born on this world" she said while feeling sad.

Wang could see that Kazumi was indeed sad. "But how are you responsible for any of this chaos, Kazumi? The actions of Heihachi and Kazuya are not your fault. That is something you dear father-in-law would have told you" the white-bearded man informed her.

The moment she heard that, Kazumi was immediately reminded about something. "Father….." she spoke up, referring to Jinpachi. "The suffering he received for my actions…I feel ashamed for letting him taking me into his dojo. Sometimes, I wonder if he will ever forgive me…" the woman spoke up.

Wang's weary eyes widened in astonishment. "Forgive you? For what?" he kindly asked her. "I need you to tell me what this is all about. And why have you approached me?" the elderly man called out to her, wanting to know Kazumi's intentions.

Kazumi dried her tears and glanced at the old man with a sad smile. "I am sorry, Master Wang. But if I ever told you the truth, you would never have accepted me…and that goes for everyone else that I have known throughout my life…" Kazumi told him as she was gradually beginning to vanish before the old man's eyes. "I don't have much time left…...be ready for what is about to come here, Wang Jinrei. However, I also hope that you know a way to put a stop to this endless cycle of hatred between my husband and son. I beg of you, revered master. Help me" those were the last words Kazumi spoke to him before light covered the elderly man's eyes.

Wang immediately snapped, as he realized that he was lying on his stomach. He was surprised, as he quickly got up and looked around the tulou. To his utter surprise, Kazumi was nowhere to be seen. Something did not make sense to the old man, and he wondered whether he had just dreamed of something.

"What did I just experience? Was this a vision? A dream? Or was it a warning?" so many questions swelled inside Wang's mind right now. "What were you trying to tell me, Kazumi Mishima?" the elderly man thought about the words the woman had said to him.

As he kept reflecting on this sudden encounter, something hit in Wang's head. His formerly old brain had started to recall some memories, including what he had managed to obtain recently, during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. Without delay, the old man headed inside and reached for a book he really wanted to read. It was an old diary, but not just any ordinary diary. It was the diary belonging to his deceased friend. Wang never knew about Jinpachi having a diary. Perhaps it was time for Wang to know more of the secrets behind the Mishima clan, something only Jinpachi and perhaps Heihachi knew of. Taking with the diary outside to the tulou, Wang took his seat and opened the book.

"Just what was it? What was it you really were trying to tell me, Jinpachi?" Wang wondered while recalling the last time he had spoken with his friend. Truth be told, the elderly man had always been intrigued to know what really happened with the family of his friend, and how it came to be this way. Perhaps Kazumi's sudden message to him indicated that he needed to do that.

* * *

 _In a mansion, somewhere outside Nassau, the Bahamas_

Lee Chaolan was having many visitors over at his fancy mansion and operations on the Bahamas. The two agents Master Raven and Raven along with Detective Lei Wulong and his friends had all decided to come with him to his place, having just attended a party in Monaco, as well as completed a mission there. The archipelago state in the Caribbean was a popular destination or beach lovers and partygoers, something Lee himself could be classified as, given that he enjoyed being there. Violet Systems also had another HQ on the Bahamas as well. With things having gone bad in Japan, Lee decided it was best for him and the company to lay low on the archipelago island for a while.

Right now, they were all sitting in the living room watching the giant screen Lee had. It was about the news of the aerial fight above the Tokyo skyline, as well as the fact that Jin in his Devil form was seen on the amateur picture that was shown. It was a woman who was broadcasting the news, and everyone listened to what was being said.

" _Following the explosion that took place above Tokyo, search parties from the Zaibatsu and the G Corp were dispatched to find the body of Jin Kazama and the creature he was last seen with, but they couldn't find neither. All that they found were black and white feathers. This has led many, including the United Nations and the ICC to believe that Jin Kazama is officially dead. But can we all be sure? We'll be back after the break with more speculations coming up_ " the woman explained before the news broadcast ended.

Once it was over, Lee grabbed the remote and switched the television off. "Oh my, this was definitely unexpected. And to think that my "relatives" would cause so much ruckus in Tokyo. I sometimes feel guilty of letting myself getting adopted by Heihachi" Lee told his visitors.

"Don't listen to what the news outlets tell you. They always exaggerate on subjects related to the worldwide war" Raven gave some advice to Lee as he adjusted his sunglasses. "But still, I'm surprised that Jin would make his move at a time like this. He's no longer invulnerable" the shaved-haired man noted grimly.

"Yes. But try also to look at the woman he was seen fighting" Master Raven said while putting a picture on the table for Lei and his friends to see. "HQ had been tipped of her being held captive in one of the Zaibatsu's archives. We first dismissed it as nothing but mere rumors to distract us from focusing on the main problems. Turns it those rumors were true. Angel was indeed captured at the orders of Jin. And the fact that the fight took place near their Research and Development Center in Tokyo only speaks volumes" the black-skinned woman informed everyone in the living room.

"What is this Angel, really?" Lei asked the agents.

Master Raven recalled on the info she had been given by her superiors. "From what our sources tell us, Angel is supposedly one of the few creatures alive that is capable of neutralizing the Devil Gene. She has some past dealings with Kazuya Mishima, given that she was supposed to save him from that curse. But she failed, and Kazuya has now embraced it fully" she answered Lei's question while recalling what she knew. "That would explain why Jin sought her out. He wanted him to cure him of the curse since his fight with Azazel did not" she then added to her assumption.

"That man really is determined to end this Devil Gene, isn't he?" Raven remarked when hearing this. "Even so, Jin Kazama is currently missing in action. The media networks may think he's dead, but we're not as foolish and presumptuous as them" the ninja added.

Christie rose up from her seat on the couch. "I could care less about wherever Jin Kazama is! He's not even worth focusing on" she expressed her open dispassion of the Japanese man. She looked at the agents with a somewhat apologetic expression. "Sorry if I sound disrespectful or anything…but I really want to know where Eddy is. His boss is now gone! That gives him no reason for him to be continuing this shadowy business of his!" the Brazilian woman added.

Asuka was surprised, yet she couldn't help but to smile in hearing Christie say those things about Jin. "Hmmm, I'm glad that you also understand the kind of prick Jin is" the brunette noted to herself.

"Easy there, Christie. We'll find his whereabouts soon enough" Lei assured her before facing Lee with a gentle smile. "If you don't mind, Lee. I would really love to use your computer. It's about time I got started with the research on the Mishima clan" the policeman kindly requested of him.

Lee responded by giving him a thumb up gesture in return. "Excellent. Let me show you the way" the man dressed in purple told Lei and motioned for him to follow Lee to his office.

This left the two agents alone with Lei's friends, as well as Leo Kliesen. But it didn't take long before the agents also decided to leave, mostly to accompany Lee. They also wanted to have some words with the CEO of Violet Systems in private.

"We two need to have a discussion with Lee on a important subject. And before you start doing anything something foolish, I ask that you not go outside the mansion. Not until we say so" Master Raven informed them while being her usual self.

Raven had to facepalm when seeing this. "Come on, you think it's necessary to boss around a group of youngsters?" he wondered to himself. But Raven was suddenly hit in his head once he was reminded about something. "And besides, why do we have to carry onto these files? They're practically useless to us" he told her.

Raven stood with her arms folded while facing her subordinate. "For us, yes. But for Violet Systems, no" she said and was about to walk away, only for Master Raven to look over her shoulder to face him smugly. "Why else do you think that Lee would rescue us back in Monaco? Doesn't it strike to you by the fact that were actually supposed to retrieve it for Violet Systems, given how they are more interested in helping Rochefort Enterprises than the G Corporation?" she then told min before proceeding to move out.

Raven was completely dumbfounded by that statement, and he didn't know what to say in return. "What?" he asked her before groaning to himself in slight irritation. "My God, if there's one thing I haven't missed is Master Raven's smugness" he lamented to himself.

"Raven. Hurry up" Raven snapped as Master Raven called for him to follow her. The ninja exchanged brief nods with the group of friends before joining up with his superior.

Now, it was the four friends who were left alone in the living room. Asuka only huffed once the agents were away from her sight. "Geez, why does that woman need to treat us like some kids? We're old enough to handle things ourselves" she expressed her irritation.

Christie giggled in hearing this. "I don't know. But like it or not, we better do as she says. You wouldn't want to get on her bad side" she told her before glancing out through the window, where she could see the giant pool Lee had in his mansion. "And besides, it's not like we can just pretend everything's fine in the world. The war still continues. For all we know, the Zaibatsu or the G Corp could launch an invasion of the Bahamas anytime, even though there's nothing to find here but tourists and cruise ships" Christie added to her explanation.

Hearing this immediately reminded Asuka about how dire the situation really was and she lowered herself with a hint of shame. "You're right. How can I forget? I'm so stupid" the criticized herself.

Steve sat right next to Leo, and so many thoughts swirled inside the young boxer's head. Ever since they had met, Steve had always been curious to know more about the blonde-haired woman and who she really was. Hearing the surname Kliesen immediately reminded Steve about one of the most important women in his life: Emma Kliesen. Without even thinking, Steve pulled up his left sleeve on his jacket and studied the scar that ran across his arm.

Leo, however, took notice of the scar and something hit in her mind as well. "Steve…...your left arm….." Leo spoke up lowly, still watching the scar. Steve quickly snapped back into reality and he proceeded to cover the scar underneath his sleeve once again. But Leo would not give up and she faced the young man seriously, something which caught Steve by surprise. "Don't you do that on me. Ever since we met, you've always been acting rather weird around me lately. There must be a reason for that. And I think I already know it" the German woman told him.

Hearing this made Steve cook an eyebrow at her in return. "What do you mean? It's just a scar that I got from an accident! It's no big….." Steve was interrupted by the voice of Leo.

"Or more likely, you received it from all the experiments you went through in the Mishima Zaibatsu facility in the United Kingdom" she pointed out to him sternly.

Steve's eyes widened with both shock and anger at the same time. His troubled past had now come to haunt him in his mind. But instead of being stuck recalling those bad memories, Steve allowed his anger to take hold on him. By that, he grabbed Leo by the collar of her jacket with her only doing the same with his. The two blondes were glaring at each other.

"Woah! What's going on here, guys?" Christie asked.

"Yeah, calm down. There's no need for violence here" Asuka pointed out to them.

But Steve was not yet finished with Leo. "How do you know about me?" he asked lowly, yet Leo didn't respond. Hearing this only made Steve more agitated by the minute. "Quit feigning ignorance with me, you twat! I just asked you how the hell do you know about me!?" the young boxer demanded an answer out of her.

Leo's eyes narrowed at him in return. "I thought you would understand that by now! After all I am…the daughter of Emma Kliesen" she revealed to him.

Hearing this froze Steve completely. He couldn't believe what the German woman had just told him. Because of his entire body freezing, Steve loosened his grip on Leo's jacket and she did the same with his. He was filled with so many thoughts that it confused the young man's mind.

"Dr. Kliesen…..had a daughter?" Steve uttered lowly before turning his attention to Leo once again, his eyes fixated upon her.

"Yes. And truth be told, I know that my mother had previously worked in the Mishima Zaibatsu, but I never knew she was involved in a project like this" Leo told him, with Steve becoming entirely mute. Even Asuka and Christie had taken interest in listening to this. Leo sighed deeply before continuing. "My mother once told me of a young boy she knew, one who had been unfairly brought to this world as a test subject. She was always feeling so happy when speaking of you, and how you deserved a better life" she told Steve.

The British boxer looked down while hearing all this. "I have almost no good memories from the Zaibatsu facility. But the only thing I remembered…...was Emma. It's because of here that I managed to escape the lab…as well as making me vanish from the eyes of the Mishimas" Steve spoke up and once again lifted up his left sleeve to show his friends the scar that ran across his arm. "Even to this day, I still don't understand why I became their test subject" he then added with a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"I understand. Truth is, I don't know the exact details of what my mother did during her time at the Mishima Zaibatsu, as I only gained that information recently after the last tournament" Leo admitted to him.

"Perhaps you should ask her. Perhaps your mother knows something more" Asuka suggested to her, only to see Leo facing the ground with a sad expression. Seeing this made Asuka immediately feel guilty over her use of words. "Did I say something wrong? Sorry, I didn't…." Asuka was stopped when Leo spoke up.

"No, it's okay. You don't have to apologize either, given that you don't know about the fact that…my mother is dead" Leo revealed to her while shocking those around her.

Christie and Asuka gasped while Steve's eye widened. "Dead? How?" Steve asked the German woman, wanting to know how someone so sweet and gentle as Emma could die so soon.

After hanging her head in sorrow for brief seconds, Leo clenched her fists while recalling the man who had done this to Emma. "She was murdered…by Kazuya Mishima" she sneered when speaking his name.

Christie couldn't believe what she was hearing Leo say. She knew very well who that man was, as did Asuka and Steve. But Christie had a reason to know that name. It was Kazuya who murdered Eddy's father, causing him to cultivate an endless hatred towards the Japanese man. Kazuya was almost as bad as his father and son, if not worse. Christie believed that another reason for Eddy joining the Tekken Force was to get revenge at Kazuya, hoping working under Jin would drive him closer to the G Corp.

"During Kazuya's takeover of the G Corp, he murdered those executives who refused to accept his leadership. My mother was among his victims" Leo recalled what she had learned about Emma's death. "That filthy swine! He'll pay for what he has done to the G Corp! It was once a conglomerate that was all about knowledge and helping the people in need. But Kazuya has now turned it into some kind of war machine, no different from the Zaibatsu" the woman lamented the changes the G Corp had gone through.

"We know that" Asuka said before clenching her right hand tightly. "I don't care what the media says, I'm gonna find Jin and give a piece of my mind! Nobody commits atrocities while carrying the Kazama name and get away with it!" the brunette was determined to find the Japanese man and give him a bruising.

Steve had to smile when hearing how determined Asuka was. "I admire your willpower, Asuka. I can see now how people from Osaka are so determined" the blonde-haired man remarked before chuckling to himself.

Asuka quickly gave him a dirty look in hearing this. "That better be a compliment, Steve! Otherwise, I'm not gonna hold back on you" she told him firmly.

Steve chose to ignore Asuka's outburst and concentrated on what to do next. "Listen, I wanna help Lei with uncovering the secrets of the Mishimas, as I still wanna get back at them for what they did to me. But at the same time, I hope to use this journey is a perfect opportunity to learn more about myself. The answers that has never been given to me, I will find them" he then told the girls in a determined manner.

Christie admired Steve's resolve. "That sounds great, Steve. Your resolve is similar to mine" she complimented him before thinking about her reason for journeying. "I still wanna find Eddy and my grandpa. I simply refuse to believe they're dead. We're gonna make it back to Brazil, together. That I promised myself" the Brazilian woman told her friends.

"I guess we all have something to fight for" Leo remarked in amusement. "But as strange as it may sound, that helps us with pushing forward in this war" she insisted to them

Inside the office in Lee's mansion, Lei were now on the computer with both Master Raven and Raven being present to observe his search. They also volunteered to help him gather data, as well as share whatever information was required with regards to this subject. Lei kept tapping through the documents and articles about the Mishima Zaibatsu, as well as its past.

"Alright, I seem to have gotten some clues here with regards to how the Mishima Zaibatsu began, with the help of some details given to me by Lee, of course" Lei told the two agents.

"I see. But I have a question for you. Have you managed to find anything about the Mishimas prior to establishing their own zaibatsu?" Master Raven asked him.

Lei nodded his head in return. "Indeed, I have. Check this out" the Chinese man told them while showing them an article with a picture of a samurai armor added to it. "According to this document, the Mishima clan were warriors, hailing back as far as the Taira and Minamoto eras. Because of their reputation, the Mishimas were considered to be the greatest warriors of Japan at their time. But like many other clans, the Mishimas changed once Japan opened itself for Western influence, allowing them to experience the country's Industrial Revolution. Many of Japan's clans established their own businesses and zaibatsu. The Mishimas were among them, yet they differed from the other clans. As Japan was dragged into world wars and other regional conflicts, the Mishima clan capitalized on the increased military demand. This enabled them to become so powerful their political influence almost surpassed that of the Japanese emperor and government. They were on the verge of claiming the entire Japan as their own country, and almost succeeded in overthrowing the emperor" Lei began explaining the details of what he found on these documents.

"Such power…how could a zaibatsu gain so much political and military strength so easily?" Raven was in disbelief over hearing this.

"But that plan to unseat the Japanese emperor and government failed, didn't it?" Master Raven questioned Lei.

"You're right. And on these documents, I've come across three important names in the Mishima Zaibatsu. Let's take a look" Lei said and he scrolled the page down until a new article was shown on the screen. This one featured a picture of none other than Jinpachi Mishima himself. "Jinpachi Mishima, a legendary fighter known across the world, particularly in the East. Even though it's disputable, Jinpachi is considered to be the Mishima Zaibatsu's founder. He was the head of the Mishima clan during the world war. But unlike most Mishimas, Jinpachi valued honor and peace above anything else. He abhorred needless conflicts, especially those started for the sake of greed. As such, he reacted accordingly against the Mishimas' military expansion by resolving instead to devote his legacy on martial arts. Because of that, the Mishimas ended their plans to overthrow the Japanese government. Jinpachi vowed to change the Mishima Zaibatsu into a more honorable organization and with someone as wise as him on the top, that change was guaranteed, or so everyone thought" Lei explained before frowning at the end of his explanation.

"Jinpachi Mishima. It turns out he really was the honorable fighter as the stories made him out to be" Master Raven remarked from what she was reading. "And I take it the reason for why this peaceful change ended was because of Heihachi Mishima, correct?" she wondered as Lei scrolled down so that a new article was shown. This one had a picture of Heihachi in it.

"Yes. Heihachi Mishima, Jinpachi's son. Unlike his more honorable and pragmatic father, Heihachi longed for the days when the Mishima clan were conquerors. Not only did he desire to rule over Japan, he also desired to rule over the entire world. Relations between Jinpachi and Heihachi soured and a conflict was brewing between them. After a bitter power struggle, Heihachi succeeding in wrestling control of the Mishima clan, thus ousting Jinpachi. He then proceeded to change the Mishima Zaibatsu, bringing the organization back to its military roots. As its head, Heihachi secured the Zaibatsu's reputation as a world-leading military firm. But even so, he never fulfilled his long-life dream to conquer the world" Lei explained what he had found out about Heihachi.

"Yeah. Heihachi never did that, even though he had the opportunity. Instead, it was Jin Kazama who did it" Raven spoke up, recalling what he knew.

Lei scrolled down the page to show the agents a new article, this one having a picture of Jin. Obviouly this picture was taken during Jin's tenure as CEO. "And that brings us to the third person of interest: Jin Kazama, grandson of Heihachi. Seizing control from Heihachi at the end of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5, Jin reigned over his grandfather's empire until only recently. What is hard to understand is why he would use the same thing he despised in order to awaken a deadly beast such as Azazel. Either way, that man must answer for his crimes. And I'll make sure he's tried before the ICC" the Chinese man told them.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here, Detective Lei" Master Raven told him while folding her arms. "Jinpachi Mishima, Heihachi Mishima, Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama. These are four generations. Each of these men has been at the helm of the Zaibatsu in the past, not to mention being involved in the arrangement of King of Iron Fist Tournements. Heihachi arranged the first, third and fourth tournaments, Kazuya arranged the second tournament, Jinpachi arranged the fifth tournament and Jin arranged the sixth tournament. Each of them have been closely affiliated with the Mishima Zaibatsu" the agent noted to herself.

"Yeah, but the question is about whether or not the Mishima-bloodline really is cursed. Sure, they were power-hungry and all, but has all it's members been influenced by the Devil Gene?" Lei questioned the agents.

"Looking back, I am beginning to wonder whether that's true or not. But let's make things clear first. Jinpachi Mishima may have been possessed by a power that is similar to the Devil Gene. However, he never had it in his veins. Over the years, we always suspected that the curse of the Mishima-bloodline began with Jinpachi. But if that was really the case, then Heihachi would've inherited the Devil Gene. But he doesn't have it as well" Raven spoke up from what he knew.

"Precisely. There is no evidence that suggest Jinpachi was indeed cursed by the Devil Gene. And more importantly, if you look at Heihachi's illegitimate son Lars Alexandersson, you can see he also lacks the Devil Gene. Now this leads us to the question: from whom did Kazuya and Jin gain the Devil Gene from?" Master Raven pondered.

"There has to be someone. Kazuya couldn't have been possessed by the Devil, that's unless he partook in a ritual. But then again that was never really the case" Raven told his superior and the policeman. "When Heihachi threw Kazuya off a cliff, Kazuya survived…..because the Devil Gene inside him had awakened…he was born with it…." Raven went on pondering on what the situation really was.

Lei was scrolling down some pages, yet he paused once he could see a large picture. From the looks of it, it appeared to be a wedding photo, but between whom? The Chinese man and the two agents were stunned to see Heihachi Mishima standing in the middle the line of people that were in the picture. But this wasn't the usual Heihachi with the grey hair. It was Heihachi during his younger years, when he had black hair and was not bald between his spikes. He was standing beside beautiful woman dressed in white kimono. Jinpachi could also bee seen in the picture, the tall man standing beside his son.

"My god…this is a wedding photo…...but not any ordinary wedding photo…." Lei remarked as he read what was written underneath the picture. "Something's written there. It reads " _We gather to bless this wonderful union between Heihachi Mishima and Kazumi Mishima (maiden name: Kazumi Hachijo). May the ancestors be honored of these two warriors' eternal love towards one another until death do them apart. Long live the Mishima clan_ ". What in the world…." Lei wondered.

"That woman…..she must be….." Raven uttered lowly at what she was seeing.

"Heihachi's wife…as well as Kazuya's mother" Master Raven explained as she faced the screen. "Mark that name: Kazumi Hachijo. See if you can find articles related to hear" she then told Lei.

Lei did that, yet as he clicked, he couldn't much info on Kazumi, other than the fact how she was related to the Mishimas. There was no mention of what kind of life she and Heihachi led together as husband and wife. The Chinese man was growing a little frustrated until he realized something.

"Wait. Hold on. Something doesn't seem to add up here" Lei told the agents as he kept browsing the documents. "The year Heihachi seized control from Jinpachi and made the Zaibatsu into a military firm, was the same year Kazumi died. And Kazuya had fallen…..no been thrown off the cliff, sustaining terrible injuries…" the detective remarked.

"So you're saying these events could've been linked, somehow?" Raven asked Lei. "But it doesn't say anything about how Kazumi died. That almost leaves us at a crossroads here" the agent added to his statement.

But Lei suddenly recalled seeing something at the wedding photo and he browsed back to it. Once seeing there, Lei's eyes widened in astonishment, due to the fact that he could see a very familiar face standing beside Jinpachi. It had to be one of the guests attending Heihachi and Kazumi's wedding, but it was no ordinary guest.

"It can't be…." Lei was stunned in what he was seeing.

"What do you mean by…..hold on….that man is" Raven adjusted his sunglasses as he leaned over to get a better look.

"It's…him…Wang Jinrei" Master Raven uttered lowly. "One of the greatest martial artist from China" she added, thus confirming she herself knew of him.

"Master Wang…." Lei spoke up, recognizing the man as the well-renowned fighter from China. "Of course, how could I forget? He and Jinpachi were great friends, although they both started as rivals before building that friendship. Both men shared similar values when it came to honor and peace. This only led Master Wang to become close to the Mishimas…including a young Heihachi. That explains why he's in the wedding photo" the detective explained this to the agents.

"Hmmm…..perhaps he holds some information about the Mishimas that no one else does. It's fruitless trying to get answers out of Heihachi or Kazuya" Master Raven began pondering about it. "However, perhaps it would be best if we left him out of this mess. Wang Jinrei is getting older. He deserves to spend the rest of his days in peace" the young woman then realized, deciding to not involve Wang into this mystery.

"No. We can't just leave him out of this" Lei said as he rose up from his seat. "True, I also don't wish to expose him to such danger, but given how Master Wang knows more about the Zaibatsu than any of us, he may be what we need. I will send him a letter and ask if we can come visit him in China" the detective told them before facing the ground while thinking about the elderly man. "Ever since what happened with Jinpachi, Master Wang feels like he has let him down. But deep down he knows he's not the blame for any of this" Lei added to his explanation.

The two agents nodded their heads in return while hearing this. "Good. Then send him the letter. In the meantime, we might as well try and dig out more info here. Maybe it would a good time to find out more about Kazumi Mishima" Raven suggested to his partner and the policeman.

 _To be continued…_


	7. When You Miss Someone

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Part 7: When You Miss Someone**

 _Inside a bar in Chinatown, San Francisco, USA_

Since the incident at the Mishima Zaibatsu Research and Development Center in Tokyo, Paul Phoenix had returned home to the United States. The group gathered together by Jin Kazama had been disbanded and each of the fighters had gone their own separate ways. Paul had gone home, yet a part of him was bitter over not receiving the compensation for his job in helping Jin. But another part of the American judo fighter thought was kind of relieving to know that Angel had been freed from Heihachi's clutches, even though he was unsure of what had happened after the explosion above the skyline. He had seen the black and white feathers falling from the sky in the aftermath.

Now back in the USA, Paul currently lived in San Francisco. Even though he had been living in Las Vegas and New York before, Paul had "moved" to California due to being close to the American west coast, especially with regards to the King of Iron Fist Tournaments. But right now, Paul didn't necessarily live in a house or an apartment, but in an old shack in the city. However, he had at least friends in San Francisco.

It was in Chinatown were Paul's best friend: Marshall Law and his family, lived. But like Paul, the Law Family was also short on money, even though they managed to survive due to Marshall's terrific cooking skills. But the fighting chef was still trying to gain money faster through scams, and Paul had sometimes been dragged into them in the past.

However, Marshall could see how his friend was not the same since his return from Japan. The two friends were now sitting in a bar in Chinatown, with Paul telling his best friend of his recent trip to Japan and the shenanigans he had been involved in with Jin. Marshall couldn't help but to get very interested in what was being said.

"So, let me get this straight. You're saying that after all the hard work you went through in helping Jin Kazama, including almost dying in a helicopter crash, you didn't receive your reward?" Marshall asked his friend, who was now taking a sip from his bottle of beer. "Woah…no wonder you're so miserable. I'm glad that kid didn't hire me. And people call me a scammer" the Chinese-American martial artist remarked to himself.

"You got that right. I just used the money I earned through street fights in Tokyo to fly myself home. Now I'm broke as hell. Talk about life being a cruel bitch" Paul said in return. But he looked at Marshall, who was surprised to see how slightly serious he actually was. "But look, Marshall. Even though I didn't get my reward, there's something I admit I'm proud to have accomplished. I helped Jin rescue whoever the hell Angel was. By freeing her, we literally deprived a powerful tool for either Heihachi or Kazuya to use. I don't know what happened to Angel, but I assume she's dead. Either way, its' safe to say we did the world a favor" Paul then told his friend.

As surprised as Marshall was I hearing this, he had to smile. With a quick nod, he acknowledged Paul's words. "Yeah, can't argue with that logic. I'm glad you still possess some common sense, Paul" he complimented Pauls' efforts.

Paul took a drink before putting the bottle down. "Alright. Now I've told you my story. How about you tell me yours? What happened while I was overseas?" the judo fighter asked him.

When Marshall was asked this, he couldn't help but to let out a sigh before answering, which confused Paul to some extent. "Well…you know Forrest? Or more importantly, his medical bills?" he asked him. Paul only got very interested in hearing this and wanted to know more from his best friend. "The medical bills have been payed…with real money of course" he revealed to him.

Paul had to gasp and almost dropped his bottle of beer onto the floor. "Woah…...are you serious, Marshall?" he asked him, only for Marshall to confirm it with a nod. Hearing this made Paul smile gleefully. "Well that's great! Congratulations! You finally did it! How did you manage to get that much money? But who cares!? Now you don't have to worry about gaining money for any debt! And Forrest is alive and kicking! I better go visit him someday!" Paul praised his friend, feeling very happy on his behalf.

However, Marshall was not feeling quite himself and he chuckled nervously in hearing Paul's praising. "Yeah about that…you see…...I kinda had to borrow the money from someone…..." he told him, causing Paul to almost drop his jaw on the bar's counter.

"What!? You're joking, right!?" Paul asked yet Marshall shook his head as a no.

"If I was joking then I wouldn't be telling you this, would I?" Marshall pointed out to him. "And besides, I've tried to times to win two King of Iron Fist Tournaments to win the prize money, but that didn't work out. And I couldn't get a job in Japan given that the Japanese government already knows of me having worked there illegally! So this was the only option that I could come up with and I was willing to take it…..for Forrest's sake" he then tried to justify what he was doing.

After hearing this, Paul seemed to be convinced over his friend's justification. "Okay, I get it…..so….from whom did you borrow the money from?" Paul asked before he snapped in realization. "Please don't tell me it's the Mishima Zaibatsu! I've had about enough of those jackasses!" he then guessed to Marshall.

"What!? Absolutely not! No way I would've taken money from the likes of them!" the Chinese-American martial artist countered Paul's statement. He then leaned closer to his friend, as if he was trying to whisper him something. "Let me just tell you that I happened to find a bag of money in the alleyway near my home. Apparently, it belonged to the local triads, who were engaging in a turf war. Once everyone was gone, I snatched in and took the prize for myself" Marshall explained, sounding very cunning as he did that.

Even after hearing this, Paul was still stunned to hear what his best friend had just done. "Who cares? Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into!? You took someone else's money, for crying out loud! What are you gonna do once they figure out who took it!?" Paul whispered to Marshall.

Marshall did not seem intimidated in the slightest. "Don't get so paranoid, Paul. This is Chinatown. Anyone could've stolen money from the triads. And besides, how can they possibly know it was me? None were witness to me taking it" he was now acting in a laidback manner.

"Yeah, but you should've known it belonged to the triads, smartguy. They live in your neighborhood" Paul hit back.

"Well excuse me for striving to pay for my son's accident on your bike!" Marshall said while recalling the event when his wife called him about their son being in accident while riding on Paul's bike.

The American judo fighter snapped when hearing this. "Hey! I told you before, I didn't give him permission to use it! He stole the keys from my home!" he hit back while something hit in his head. "And you sure got a hell of a nerve pinning the blame on me. I could've sued you and Forrest for the damages to the bike…...but I didn't. Not only did I not sue you because I easily fixed it myself, but also because I value you greatly as a friend" Paul then explained the reason for why Paul chose not to open a legal case against Marshall with regards to his bike.

Realizing this, Marshall quickly regretted his accusation towards Paul. He sighed deeply, thus calming himself from any stress. "Look, I'm sorry Paul. It was stupid of me to pin the blame in you. You're my best pal" he told him.

Paul only smiled in return. "Eh, no biggie. I know how you feel about Forrest. To be honest with ya, I was more worried about him than my bike once I heard about the accident" Paul revealed to his best friend.

But the two friends were surprised when they could feel somebody approach them from behind. Both friends snapped as they could see two mobsters, one carrying a baseball bat and the other carrying a crowbar. Paul and Marshall realized they were from the triad and they were NOT looking happy. It would seem they had been in the bar all the time and had been listening to the conversation between the two friends.

"Hey you! The chef! We heard you stole the money that was left an alleyway here in Chinatown!" the thug with the bat told Marshall. "We'll have you know that it was our money you stole!" he added while feeling very confrontational.

"Yeah! You stole it from us! Cough up what you have before we do that for you!" the other with the crowbar demanded from him. "If you have already spent the money on something, then we want compensation from you…with your life!" he added, sounding very ruthless towards the two friends.

Both Paul and Marshall got up from their seats and faced the two thugs as if they were slightly scared. Paul looked over to his best friend. "Just what the hell have you done now, Marshall?" he asked through gritted teeth.

Marshall only smirked at him in return. "Don't worry. I got this!" he insisted before facing both gangsters while demonstrating his moves. "So you guys think it's okay to come in here and intimidate people like that? Well, come and get some! I dare you" he then started to taunt the thugs.

Neither of the thugs seemed to take Marshall's threat for real, so they decided to only charge towards him and Paul with their weapons. A fight was now ensuing in the bar, and all the other customers and employees turned their attention to the fight. Despite the thugs' being tough, they were no match for the combined fighting skills of Paul and Marshall. Both thugs were now lying on a table, their faces covered in bruises and blood. The two friends felt proud over their win and gave each a high five.

"Heh! Nothing like a good workout!" Paul said as he looked at the thugs being beaten, with one of them having his teeth broken.

"These triads won't come after us after this!" Marshall said while laughing with Paul.

But the fight was hardly over, as two more men came into the bar, carrying weapons while aiming at the two fighters. Paul and Marshall took notice of this and quickly snapped.

"Oh shit…" Paul cursed at what he was seeing. "Why does the tough guys always have to arrive after the weak ones are beaten!? It's so cliché!" he then asked while remarking how similar this was to a usual scene in a movie.

"Quick! Use the emergency exit!" Marshall said as he dragged along Paul with him to the nearest door, which was only used in case of emergencies. They managed to get out just in time before the gangsters started firing their weapons. They both headed over to Paul's motorcycle, which was parked near their location. "Alright! Get us outta here!" he told Paul.

"Yeah, but where!?" Paul asked as they both got on the bike.

"As long as it's out of Chinatown! Hey, we go over to your place! Just hurry up before we get shot like a duck!" Marshall suggested and Paul quickly sped up, driving through the narrow alleyways as the gangsters were trying to shoot them, but to no avail.

As they were driving out of Chinatown, Paul looked behind him and Marshall to see if there was someone following him. Fortunately, there was none. "Okay! Looks like we're safe from them for now. You seriously owe me one, Marshall!" the judo fighter told his friend as he kept driving.

Marshall only responded by smiling at him smugly in return. "I'll make it up to you with some chicken wok and fried rice the next time you visit our home" he promised Paul. "But for now, let's just go to your place. There's something else that I need to tell you. And believe me, it has nothing to do with money!" he then told Paul.

Paul only shrugged his shoulders as he kept steering the bike. "Tch, I only hope you know what you're doing, buddy" he told him as they sped through the streets of San Francisco.

* * *

 _Inside a hospital in Souq, Saudi Arabia_

Inside a hospital in the town of Souq, a young Korean man was now lying on the bed with a bandage hanging over his right eye. This was the young man named Hwoarang, sometimes a punk, otherwise a good guy. He was very good in taekwondo, which had only earned him quite a reputation as a tough and resilient fighter. As such, he considered himself to be Jin Kazama's rival, given how they both fought each other once, resulting in a tie. But many things had changed since that day.

When Hwoarang was notified about Jin vanishing, he simply refused to believe what the media said. Jin had started a worldwide war and Hwoarang had desperately wanted to beat him in a match, hoping it would end the war. So after the King of Iron Fist Torunament 6, Hwoarang went to the Middle East, where we began searching for his rival. He eventually found himself in a town in Saudi Arabia called Souq. It was also there where Hwoarang found Jin, in the town's marketplace. But the situation was different.

The Korean man had noticed how Jin was on the run from Arab soldiers hired by the G Corporation to apprehend Jin. They almost succeeded in getting him. Hwoarang, unable to let the G Corp steal his prey, decided to fight them, so that he could save Jin and have him by himself. But the soldiers were not satisfied and just as Hwoarang was about to carry Jin away after fighting some soldiers, they almost got hit by a grenade. This left Hwoarang with a serious injury on his right eye and he was bleeding. But while he was lying on the ground, a military jeep appeared in the marketplace, and it was Lars Alexandersson who drove it. He and Jin vanished from the place, yet Hwoarang was too weakened to chase after them. He fell into unconsciousness.

Brought to a hospital by the local townspeople, Hwoarang was told by the doctors how his right eye was injured due to the grenade. The Korean man was also informed that he had been in a coma for two weeks.

"Tch, great. My right eye is messed up and Jin Kazama got away. This could possibly not get any worse" Hwoarang lamented what had just transpired.

"It already is, boy!" Hwoarang snapped once he could hear a stern and tough voice coming to his right side. Someone had just entered the hospital room. It was a middle-aged Korean man with his grey hair tied into a ponytail. He was dressed in a tan formal suit jacket with a gray vest and a white long-sleeved button shirt underneath with a black tie at the center of his collar, tan pants and brown moccasin shoes. He also wore a matching tan hat on his head. "You really have done it this time" the man said while folding his arms.

Hwoarang's left eye widened. This was his teacher in taekwondo: Baek Doo San. "Master! What are you….no, how did you find me here!?" the young man asked, still unsure of what to ask of him.

Baek approached his student's hospital bed, still folding his arms in disappointment. "Quit acting like I'm some clueless dimwit, Hwoarang. I know where you have been. You've been chasing after some lunatic even after I told you not to go after him!" Baek berated his student as he pointed his finger at the bandage on Hwoarang's right eye. "And your right is damaged. You almost got yourself killed by a grenade. What will happen next time you do something as reckless as that!?" he then questioned him, this time being stricter upon Hwoarang.

The Korean man had taken notice how weird it was to see with only one eye. It was strange, as if his sight had been reduced to a half. Either way, Hwoarang could see how furious and distressed his teacher was at the same time.

"Look, I know I screwed up, okay!? But I was only trying to Jin from…" Hwoarang was interrupted by his teacher's voice.

"Saving Jin Kazama. From what!? These men were going to apprehend him and make him answer for his crimes! But you had to intervene and look where that got you! You could've been killed, boy!" Baek expressed his frustration with his student while sadly watching Hwoarang's bandaged eye.

Hwoarang couldn't believe it, but his usual tough and strict teacher was now on the verge of crying. This was very unusual of Baek, given how he was known to give Hwoarang tough love. But despite that, Baek had come to treat the punkish man as a son of his. The middle-aged man sat on a chair besides Hwoarang, rubbing his hands on his face.

"I should've been there. You still have no control over thinking about the consequences of your actions, Hwoarang" Baek told him.

Hearing this only made Hwoarang furious at him. "Quit treating me like I'm some child! I knew what I was doing, even before coming here to search for Jin!" the young man spat out, once again expressing his defiance towards his teacher. "If an injury to my right eye was gonna be the price of me chasing him, then so be it" Hwoarang added.

Baek was astounded by hearing this. "When are you gonna learn, boy? That man will only be the end of you. And I am not saying this to be sarcastic or anything. I am saying this to be blunt with you" the middle-aged man told his student.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. If there is one thing that I know will become the death of me is you trying to hold me back" Hwoarang spoke up.

His teacher only sighed deeply in return. "Why must you be so stubborn?" Baek wondered to himself. The middle-aged man then forgot something and decided to show Hwoarang what had transpired in the world recently. As such, he handed Hwoarang a newspaper. "Here. Given that you were in a coma in two weeks, you missed a lot of events that happened in the world. This one just came out recently" he told his student.

Hwoarang was surprised to see this, yet he grabbed the newspaper and looked at it's frontpage. Even though his right eye was damaged, he could still read fine with his other functional eye. It was only fortunate that he managed to not lose both eyes and go blind. As he read, Hwoarang froze once he could see who it really was on that picture. It was Jin Kazama in his devil form. The young man proceeded to read the article of the case, as well as how the events in Tokyo happened.

"Woah…..this happened while I was here…I really missed something great" he remarked to himself.

"And good riddance! So far, neither the Mishima Zaibatsu nor the G Corporation has succeeded in finding Jin's body. Therefore, it is safe to assume he has died in the explosion" Baek spoke up, his voice no longer filled with distress and anger. "Let it go, Hwoarang. Stop wasting time on someone who doesn't give a rat's behind about you. He's gone now. Focus on what to do now" the taekwondo master urged his student.

Hwoarang only shrugged his shoulder in return. "Tch, easier said than done. This worldwide war still continues, even without Jin as the Zaibatsu's CEO. Heihachi is probably more of a bigger megalomaniac than he was" Hwoarang said.

Baek nodded his head weakly in return. "True. But we don't have the power to end it, boy. If you plan on going infiltrating either the Zaibatsu or the G Corp, then I will stop you this time" he told him.

"Relax, dad! I was only stating what the current situation was! And the only way that we'll be able to infiltrate the Zaibatsu is if we participate in the next King of Iron Fist Tournament, which is yet to be announced I suppose" Hwoarang spoke up before noticing something. "Hold on, since I'm at a hospital in Saudi Arabia, doesn't that mean I need to pay the medical bills?" the auburn-haired man asked his mentor.

Baek stood up from his seat and smiled at Hwoarang. "Don't worry, somebody's already paying that for you" the middle-aged man told him.

Hwoarang cooked an eyebrow in hearing this. "What? Who is it then?" he demanded an answer out of Baek.

"Relax, boy. While I was teaching taekwondo at the South Korean military bases, I was one day visited by a delegation from the Saudi Arabian Army. One of the country's private military firms was interested in seeing what taekwondo really was and invited me to teach some of it's basic moves to some recruits. I was more than happy to do that. They were able to master it and they were more than happy to assist me in anyway should I need help" Baek explained how he came to know this military firm.

The young man only whistled in amazement. "You have a habit of making friends wherever you go, don't ya master?" Hwoarang quizzed him.

"Try not to get so sentimental with me, Hwoarang. Just because I know some friends here, doesn't mean you can go around cause all this drama! And speaking of which, my friend wants to give us a ride to the airport. He says he's interested in asking you about something related to your idiot rescue attempt of Jin" Baek spoke up.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Hwoarang asked him.

The question was answered by someone entering the hospital room. "I demand to know the truth" the voice came from none other than the Saudi Arabian military bodyguard named Shaheen. He was facing the Korean man with determined eyes. "I know what really happened that day, reckless boy. You found Jin Kazama, but not in his normal self. You found him in a different form…" he told Hwoarang.

"What the…who the hell are you!?" Hwoarang asked the calm-mannered man only to be banged on his head by Baek.

"Hey! Watch your language! This guy is one of the friends I made from that company!" Baek berated his student before turning to face Shaheen. "I apologize for my student's rudeness. He really has a hard time respecting strangers" the taekwondo master told Shaheen.

"Hmmm, I already figured that out" Shaheen told him before fixing his principled eyes upon Hwoarang once again. "Today's the day you leave this hospital. I will take you two to the nearest airport with one of our company's limousines. And on the way there, I would like to have some words with the two of you" he told them before exiting the hospital room.

Hwoarang was now confused over all of this. Had his actions in assisting Jin really ticked that man off? Either way, he was not sure what Shaheen was trying to get at. The Korean man had already started to dislike him, probably due to his cold attitude. But Baek understood Shaheen more than he did, and perhaps it was time for his student to learn a lesson in respect.

* * *

 _In a gym inside Lee Chaolan's mansion, outside Nassau, the Bahamas_

With his friends wanting to go swimming in the mansion's pool, Steve had decided to train his abilities in a gym. This was perhaps where Lee worked out in order to improve his flexibility and skills. After asking Lee, Steve was given the keys to unlock the door and use anything in the gym to his liking. Given that he was unemployed, it was important for Steve to remain in good shape. He still wanted to remain on the top list in the boxing championships. Therefore, he would have to train so that he was ready for whatever fight that was waiting for him.

Right now, Steve began practicing his boxing skills, pretended that the open space was his opponent. As a boxer, Steve was noted for the incredible speed of his punches. Boxing didn't allow kicking, yet Steve's fists were something to be terrified of. The blonde-haired man kept pushing himself while moving with his feet.

"I need to stay focused. Despite not being in the ring for a while, one can never know when the fight will arrive. I better be prepared for the unexpected" the blonde-haired man thought to himself as he faced the forward to concentrate on his punches.

But as he kept moving a punch with his left arm, he stopped once he could feel pain in it. This caught Steve by surprise, yet he only held it briefly to easy the pain. Once the pain had gone away, Steve resumed his training. He moved his right arm forward and felt no pain afterwards. But once the young boxer moved his left arm once again, the pain inside came back, this time being stronger than before. Feeling this pain made Steve loose focus and he was onto his knees while holding onto his scarred arm. Steve could feel the pain getting slightly worse.

"Damn! What did the Mishima Zaibatsu….do to me!?" he asked as he held onto his arm. His horrifying past in the Zaibatsu facility in Britain came back to haunt Steve. He still remembered how many experiments were being tested on him as a child. The researchers who experimented on him, led by the mad scientist named Dr. Abel, even had a name for him. But it was more of a subject number than a name. As Steve was being reminded about this, he angrily gritted his teeth. "My name is not NT01! IT'S STEVE!" he yelled a sentence he had done to the scientists during his childhood.

The moment he yelled that sentence, pain began taking hold on Steve once again. He screamed in agony and rolled onto the floor. But it didn't take long for the young man to see something happen with his arms. Out of the blue, they began sparkling with yellow electricity. But it stopped, and the pain slowly started going away. Steve couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Had electricity really appeared around his arms? He panted deeply and slowly got up on his feet. The young man looked at his arms, reflecting on this moment.

"What the hell…..I was on the floor screaming in pain….only for my arms to get bolts around them! Just what the bloody hell happened!?" Steve asked himself.

Feeling that the pain had started to go away, Steve returned to practicing his fighting skills. But as he was standing ready to punch with his fists, he was stunned once he could feel the electricity build with his arms and even across his body. The young boxer was stunned to see this. As he delivered a punch in the air, the electricity calm along with it. But this time however, it didn't cause pain.

"Shit! It happened again!" Steve cursed as he looked at his right arm. While trying to clutch his arms, he could see them sparkle with the yellow electricity once again. Steve was speechless. He looked at the scar across his left arm. "What kind of drugs did those scientists feed me!? Has this something to do with them!? If so, why does it happen now after so many years!?" he asked out loudly, getting very distressed by the minute.

"It's not something that someone drugged you with" Steve snapped and quickly turned around to see Raven, Master Raven and Lei enter the gym standing not far behind him.

Steve was outraged. "What the…..how long have you three been standing there!?" he angrily asked them, feeling offended by the fact they had spied on him.

Lei tried to calm him down. "Easy there, Steve! I just followed them here" the policeman assured him. "And besides, you made quite a noise in the mansion. We heard you screaming so loud that we thought you were under attack by someone. Turned out not to be the case here, I see" Lei added to his explanation for them being there.

"Let's not waste time with such idiocy" Master Raven sternly spoke up, folding her arms as she glanced at Steve with narrowed eyes. "As Raven just said, this isn't the result of some drug. Rather, it is a power that you've been born with. It is the ability to an electric current through your hands" the agent informed him.

As Steve was informed of this, he looked to his scarred arm and watched the other. He clenched his fists, thus demonstrating this ability for Lei and the two agents once again. Even so, Steve was still confused over what it really was.

"What in the world…how are you able to do this, Steve?" Lei asked his friend.

"I just found this out right now! While I was practicing my punches, my left arm started to feel pain. He held onto it and was reminded about my painful past, yet I refused to do so by shouting out angry. And then, this happens to my arms!" Steve explained to them what it was.

"I see. So, this is completely unfamiliar to you? I can understand your confusion" Raven spoke up. "However, tell us something, Steve Fox. Do you recall seeing someone else being capable of what you just did?" he asked him.

Steve only glanced at him confused. "What do you mean by that? Who else are capable of wielding…" the British boxer stopped once he recalled seeing something on television. It was about matches during previous King of Iron Fist Tournaments. Yes, he had indeed seen somebody being capable of doing that. His blue eyes widened in realization. "No…...not just one…but more. The Mishimas…." Steve uttered out lowly, slowly starting to remember it.

"You are precisely correct. Only members of the Mishima clan's direct linage can do this….and let me assure you, that is not so easy to copy" Master Raven spoke to him.

Hearing this only made Steve more agitated by the minute. "What kind of rubbish is that!? Answer me!?" the boxer demanded, yet neither agent seemed interested in telling him.

"Quit losing focus of your training. Whatever that trick is, try to master it. Don't let it get in your way of fighting" Raven advised the young man. The agent with sunglasses then looked over to Lei. "Detective, where are Christie Monteiro, Leo Kliesen and Asuka Kazama?" Raven asked Lei.

Hearing this made Lei scratch the back of his head nervously. "They're probably outside using the pool" he suggested to them.

Both agents snapped once they heard this. "How can they be so foolish? We are now hiding from getting tracked by our enemies and they want to have a vacation all of a sudden!?" Master Raven expressed her disappointment in what she was hearing. "And where is Lee? I thought I told him to watch of things around here" she questioned him sternly.

"Hey! Don't get all hissy with me. I'm the one actually doing something reasonable in this mansion" Lei pointed out to her. "And by the way, I thought I heard Lee saying something about heading to the Violet Systems HQ nearby in order to check on something with regards to our mission" the Chinese man then told the agents.

"Hmm, I see" Master Raven said before smirking at Lei. "Keep up the good work, detective. Me and Raven will handle your friends. Let's go, Raven" the black-skinned woman said before exiting the gym.

Raven only sighed in annoyance when hearing this. "This is gonna a huge pain in the neck. I just know it!" he muttered before following his superior.

This left Lei alone with Steve. "Sheesh, that woman sure is a crafty one" the policeman remarked before looking back at Steve. From the looks of it, he didn't quite seem to be in a good mood. "Steve. Don't listen to what they said. For all we know, we have no evidence to support that fact if you know what I mean" Lei told him.

Steve heard him and looked at him. "No, it's not about that. I was only reminded about a certain someone that took great care of me and treated me as a human back in my early days" the blonde-haired man told him, even smiling a little in the process.

Lei returned the smile. "Glad to hear it. You know, you can help me bringing some books if you wanna. Or you could go outside and see how the agents will discipline the girls" he suggested while trying to sound comical.

Hearing this caused Steve to laugh. "I think I'll do the latter alternative. You best return on doing your research, Lei" the British boxer told him and exited the gym to head to the pool.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the Violet Systems facility, the Bahamas_

This building near Lee's mansion served as another HQ of Violet Systems. With the one in Japan having recently being raided, Lee felt that he could concentrate on his work in peace on the Bahamas. But the silver-haired man knew that sooner or later, his enemies would come for him. But Lee was prepared for that. However, he had been busy lately. He had now strived to rebuild something very dear to his ally Lars Alexandersson. It was the true and only Alisa Bosconovitch, the android created by the famous doctor himself. Since the end of the previous tournament, Lars had entrusted Lee to rebuild and reprogram Alisa. He was more than happy to do that.

Lee walked over to Alisa, who was lying in some sort of sleep. The machine she was lying on was helping in restoring her battery. As a matter of fact, the pink-haired girl slowly awakened and she could see Lee standing over here with a smile, even holding her head.

"Hello, Alisa Bosconovitch" Lee exclaimed while smiling.

But Alisa was too scared of seeing him holding her and being so close to her. So without even thinking, she kicked him hard, thus sending him flying till he crashing to a fence. It was hard, yet Lee was not injured.

"Excellent…you're awake. But this isn't how you should treat your savior…" Lee said only to notice that Alisa's body was headless. The reason for that was because of him holding her head right now.

The robotic girl was confused when she heard what Lee said. Her body had even begun moving on its own. "My…savior?" Alisa asked as she looked around this room she was in. "What am I doing here?" she questioned Lee.

Lee got up on his feet and moved towards Alisa's body. "Hmmm, it seems your memory system is still damaged" the silver-haired man remarked and he put Alisa's head on her body.

The moment Lee put Alisa back into one piece, something changed her. She quickly froze while facing Lee. "Suspicious person detected. Commencing termination" the girl said, much to Lee's confusion. But he was in for a surprise as Alisa activated her jetpack and began flying towards him. Lee narrowly avoided getting punched by her, yet Alisa was still flying around the lab preparing to attack him.

Lee sighed deeply. "Goodness me. I would prefer if we didn't do this in my lab" he told her, yet Lee had to avoid getting hit by Alisa as she was trying to attack him from above. She then landed and was ready to face him in combat. "But because of your memory system being slightly damaged, it's fruitless trying to reason with you. So allow me to test your skills!" he then taunted the girl.

Alisa activated her chainsaws, being determined to actually eliminate Lee. But the silver-haired man was an experienced fighter, even against robots such as her. He avoided getting sawed by her, although Lee was this close in being killed once Alisa fired her chainsaws towards him. That was quite a deadly experience, yet Lee relished the challenge. With his quick reflexes and attacks, Lee managed to land multiple damages to Alisa, something even she failed to counter. In the end, Lee won, and Alisa was forced onto the floor. Due to him beating her, Lee had eased Alisa's fears. The elegant man brushed off the dust on his coat before approaching Alisa once again.

"Although not a complete success, the system restart is complete" Lee noted to himself before smiling at Alisa while doing an introduction of himself. "Maybe now you remember who I am?" he then told her.

Alisa looked at him, and for some reason, she quickly snapped in realization. "It's you…." Alisa exclaimed, her memory system slowly starting to recall the time she met Lee. It was some while ago, but she still remembered it. "You're that creepy CEO….Lee…...whatever!" the pinkette told him, still feeling confused about Lee's surname.

Hearing this immediately made Lee mope at her in return and he couldn't help but to feel the urge to slap her for saying he was creepy. But he kept his cool. "It's Lee Chaolan. And less with the "creepy", please" he told her while making sure she was listening carefully. "Anyway, I'm honored you remember me, young lady" he told him, feeling proud over being remembered.

Still, Alisa was confused by all this. "But what am I doing here? What happened?" she asked Lee, still trying to remember more with the help of her memory system.

"Well, it appears we still have a way to go" Lee remarked before pointing his finger towards the machine she had been lying on. "Perhaps you need more time to recuperate and gather your data. Here, go back to the machine and lay a little longer. Perhaps then, you should be able to remember it clearly" he then told her.

Knowing she could trust Lee, as he had experience in robotics, Alisa walked over to the machine and began closing her eyes. Lee activated the machine, watching as was drifting into sleep once again. The silver-haired man knew he would get Alisa back into her former self. He had promised Lars. At the same time, Lee was also very intrigued by Alisa as a robot. To him, the way she spoke, behaved and walked, seemed more human than robot.

"You really did a great job with her, Doctor Bosconovitch" Lee had to admit while thinking about the Russain scientist who had created Alisa. "I can see now why Alisa is your greatest work yet" he added while recalling what he had read about the files of Alisa and how the doctor had created him.

* * *

 _Inside a shack in San Francisco, USA_

Having managed to escape the triads, Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law decided to lay low for a bit while hanging out at Paul's place. Given how Paul was broke, he couldn't afford to at least buy an apartment in San Francisco. Therefore, he had no choice but to live in this shack. But despite this condition, Paul liked it there, as he did have a couch, a tv, a bed and some lights. He had also constructed himself his own garage where his bike stood in. All in all, it was a decent place worth of living in.

"Okay. So what is you wanted to talk with me about?" Paul asked his best friend, recalling what Marshall had said to him during their ride from Chinatown.

"It's about something else that's been on my mind recently. I do run a dojo. But because of me being so focused on paying Forrest's medical bills, I've completely neglected it. And now, many students are now leaving the dojo as a result" the Chinese-American martial artist revealed to Paul.

"Your dojo? Oh yeah, I almost forgot that you still did that" Paul remarked while thinking back to the time when he once tried to open a dojo. "I also tried my luck with that myself, yet it failed due to the lack of students and funding. Boy am I glad that I'm not doing that kinda stuff anymore. I can't do something else if I can't take care of my own finances" he recalled back to when he tried.

"Yeah, but this is serious, Paul. I should've hired someone to run the dojo while I was busy helping Forrest. And now it has come to bit me in the ass" Marshall said while sighing deeply. "Man, how did I become such a screwup?" he wondered to himself.

Paul, in an effort to cheer his buddy up, reached a hand around his shoulder. "Cheer up, pal. Perhaps you should hire someone to look after the dojo. Forrest just got out, so he's out of the question, I assume" Paul began coming up with a suggestion to his friend.

Marshall nodded his head in reply. "Of course, he is. And besides, I'm not sure if I can entrust something to him. Come on, he is my son and I love him and all, but Forrest does not function responsibly. The accident only supports that fact" he told Paul why Forrest would not be this caretaker.

"What about me? I can handle them!" Paul exclaimed enthusiastically while facing Marshall. "Come on, I know how to run a dojo. Give me a chance" he added.

Once he heard Paul nominating himself, Marshall had to laugh. However, he did not do that out of malicious intent. He soon stopped laughing. "Tempting, but no. I understand you're trying to help me, Paul. But I don't wanna drag you into someone else's mess. It's my fault that the dojo is being neglected, so that I means I have to find someone to run it in my place. But I'm still not sure who" he explained while politely turning down Paul's offer.

Paul was now thinking about someone he had fought back in Japan when he assisted Jin with saving Angel. "Ya know, while I was overseers helping the devil boy, I came across some scary dude with dragon-like eyes. From the looks of it, he seemed to practice Chinese Kenpo. I had the chance to fight him and boy was he powerful" Paul began recalling when he had fought Feng Wei.

This actually piqued Marshall's interest and he immediately faced him with a smile, his eyes becoming gleeful. "Say what….a Chinese Kenpo fighter? Wow! That sounds…AWESOME!" he exclaimed in open admiration of what Paul told him.

But the American judo fighter quickly saw the error of telling his friend this. "Woah! Slow down, Marshall! There's no way that would be interested in watching over your dojo! I mean, that guy was a tough one! And those scary eyes of his….he's definitely not teacher material, buddy" Paul explained to him.

"Exactly my point! If I can get some badass fighter to help my dojo, then I'll be having no problems losing students" Marshall said, still wanting to know more about Feng. "So, go on. Tell me what else you know about that guy, Paul! You do wanna help a friend in need, right?" he urged Paul to continue speaking.

Paul felt himself slightly pressured by his friend. But a part of him wanted to help Marshall with holding up the dojo. Sighing in defeat, Paul decided to do as his friend requested. "Alright. But I'm only doing this because you're my best pal, nothing else!" the judo fighter insisted to him. And so, Paul began telling what he had experienced with fighting Feng, with Marshall listening closely like a child listening to a bedtime story.

* * *

 _On the road outside Souq, Saudi Arabia_

Inside a fancy limousine, Hwoarang and his master Baek Doo San were on their way to the nearest airport. Joining them was Shaheen, someone Baek had met during a time when he introduced taekwondo to some recruits in the Saudi Arabian Army. The company had Shaheen worked for had paid off Hwoarang's medical bills at Baek's request. Now, they would be taken to the nearest airport and then fly back to South Korea. There was nothing left for the Korean men to do but to return home.

As they were sitting in the longue, Hwoarang was now checking himself in a mirror, given that he was now wearing an eyepatch over his injured right eye. The auburn-haired man found his newfound look to be quite odd, especially since he had never worn an eyepatch in his life before.

"I can't believe this, man. That eyepatch makes me look like some cliché pirate character from a movie or something" Hwoarang scowled at what he was seeing with the eyepatch.

"Well, like it or not, you brought that on yourself, Hwoarang. So deal with it from now on" Baek sternly spoke up, growing tired of hearing his student complaining. The middle-aged man looked over to Shaheen with a smile. "I must thank you and your superiors for doing this for me, Shaheen. I wish I could've come back to Saudi Arabia on different circumstances" he told the man wearing shemagh on his head.

"It is our pleasure, Baek Doo San. My company is always willing to repay a friend. And you are no exception" Shaheen gently told him before turning his stern glance on Hwoarang. "However, I must admit that your student is indeed quite feisty enough to put himself on the line for someone like Jin Kazama. It surprises me" he then noted.

Hwoarang huffed at him in return. "What I did in the marketplace is none of your damn business. So, butt out, will ya?" he spoke up in his usual punkish tone.

Baek felt disappointment build within him. "Damnit, boy. Can't you show some respect towards him for once?" he told him.

"Do not worry about it. I have experience in dealing with young, boastful fools" Shaheen insisted to Baek, while Hwoarang snapped once he heard what the humble man just said about him. "Now as for you saying Jin Kazama was none of my business. I would not be so smug if I were you. Like you, I am one of the few people to witness Jin's transformation into this devil" he then reavealed to the young man.

Hwoarang's left eye widened in surprise. "What…..so you're saying you…" the Korean man uttered out those words lowly.

"I take it you were present during the incident at the Zaibatsu's Research and Development Center in Tokyo, is that it?" Baek asked Shaheen, the Saudi Arabian man nodding his head as a yes in response. Hearing this caused Baek to be more interested. "I see. But what were you doing near it? Were you on a mission?" the taekwondo master asked him gently.

Shaheen decided to show his guests what it was by pushing the button on a remote. With that take care of, a hologram was shown in the longue and it was a picture of none other than Angel. The two Koreans were stunned over what they were seeing as Shaheen began recalling to what he had seen.

"I was on a mission to find a way to end this worldwide conflict along with an acquaintance from Egypt. From the Archers of Sirius, we learned that Heihachi Mishima had captured this magical being called the Angel and kept her in the facility. We then infiltrated it, hoping to save it before her powers could be exploited. But we were too late" Shaheen began explaining what he had been through.

"So this is Angel…..it almost looks like Jin in that form of his….except that she's way cuter, hotter and friendlier" Hwoarang remarked in seeing Angel.

Shaheen's eyes narrowed as he heard him say that. "I wouldn't necessarily describe her as such, my friend. Angel is willing to go any lengths in order to fulfill her objectives….even if it means…..resurrecting dead soldiers and using them to attack us" he revealed to them grimly, still remembering witnessing Angel's power.

"No…is she really that dangerous as I've heard of?" Baek wondered after hearing his explanation. "But Angel was freed, right? And how did the fight between her and Jin end?" he asked him.

The Saudi Arabian man closed his eyes as he recalled what he had witnessed alongside his friends. "Impossible to explain. But we saw the two of them being engaged in some kind of aerial combat. Once they each fired a beam towards the other, an explosion erupted in the dark skies. After that all that came from the dust was nothing but black and white feathers. I have no idea of what has happened with either of them since that night. But I admit, I actually want to forget it" Shaheen explained what he had witnessed.

"I see. If that's the case, then there is no question that Jin Kazama is dead" Baek said as he looked over to his student. So far, Hwoarang had been staring on his lap, as if he was not interested in hearing what was told. Baek sighed before speaking to him. "You heard him, Hwoarang. It's hopeless going after him now. He's gone. I know it's hard for you to accept it, but you have to face the truth" the man with the ponytail tried his best to talk some sense into the young man.

Hwoarang glanced at his teacher with his only eye. He was neither sad nor happy. But there was something else that told Baek he was not being himself right now. "I know, master. I know" he spoke up lowly before facing the screen once again. "But a part of me still tell me about him being out there somewhere. I mean, who can ever save the man who couldn't save himself?" Hwoarang then asked while thinking about the man he had considered a rival. Had something changed his opinion of Jin? Baek was now starting to wonder if that was the case.

 _To be continued…_


	8. The King of the Iron Fist Returns

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Part 8: The King of the Iron Fist Returns**

 _In the streets of Kyoto, Japan_

Ling Xiaoyu was now walking down the street accompanied by her bodyguard and friend, Panda. The Chinese girl was not being herself right now. She had been like this ever since that crucial night when Jin Kazama battled Angel over the Tokyo skyline. But that was not all, as Jin had vanished after their beams caused an explosion quite destructive. It was a terrible and painful moment for Xiaoyu to witness, especially since so many things had happened that night. After she had seen the falling black and white feathers, the young girl could not help but to assume that her friend from Mishima High was now dead. She had heard the news about search parties being unable to retrieve the body of either Jin or Angel. This only confirmed to Xiaoyu that he was indeed gone. Since the group that had helped Jin disbanded, Xiaoyu and Panda returned to Kyoto, intending on getting back into the daily life. But for Xiaoyu, it was harder than what she expected.

"Why…...why did it have to end this way…Jin?" Xiaoyu asked herself as she walked amongst the crowds of people on the sidewalk. "After so many times I've struggled to find you…why disappear once again!?" this time, anger could be felt inside the young girl. Panda took notice of this and hoped that she would not let it consume her.

Panda had also been able to witness the battle between Jin and Angel. She had helped comfort Xiaoyu after she began crying over seeing the feathers fall from the cloud of smoke. Even to this day, Panda was still trying to figure out a way to ease Xiaoyu's melancholy. But it was no use. The Chinese girl was still fixated upon the man she secretly harbored a crush on, despite all the wrongdoings he had committed in the past.

Entering Maruyama Park, Xiaoyu found herself a bench to sit on while Panda rested easily beside her. The Chinese girl held up a photo she had kept for a long time. It was a photo of her, Jin and Panda, during their time at Mishima High. Had she really been so clueless? Was she too foolish to even understand how Jin hated his family. The incident at the Research and Development Center in Tokyo had only answered those questions. It was hard to deal with the truth.

"I know that I should be facing forward, Panda. But letting go of this memory…...it seems so hard to do that…" Xiaoyu spoke up as Panda glanced at her curiously. "It's just that I don't know the answer to all of this! What am I supposed to even do!?" she exclaimed while being on the verge of breaking down in tears.

But Xiaoyu's attention was caught when someone called her name. The girl with the pigtails looked up to see who it was and Xiaoyu couldn't help but to smile. Coming towards them was one of her former classmates from Mishima High, as well as a great friend of hers: Miharu Hirano. The Japanese teenager ran towards Xiaoyu and embraced her in a quick hug.

"There you are, Xiao! Where have you been? I've calling you and texting you since this morning!" Miharu told her best friend.

"Oh, you did?" Xiaoyu gasped before fixed a somewhat ashamed look on her face. "Oh gosh, I'm terribly sorry I didn't answer you, Miharu. I'm not on my phone as much as I used to" she apologized to her in earnest.

Miharu only smiled sweetly in return. "No biggie. I only wanted to know whether you were doing okay or not" Miharu told her while accepting Xiaoyu's apology. But the Japanese teenager frowned as she could see how sad her friend was. Realizing that she couldn't turn her back on Xiaoyu, Miharu took a seat on the bench beside her friend. "You're still thinking about him, aren't you? Not to be nitpicky or anything but is that really helpful to you?" she then questioned Xiaoyu.

When Xiaoyu heard this, she let out a deep sigh before responding. "It's easier for you to say, Miharu. I was there when Jin transformed himself into that…monster…when he fought in the skies above Tokyo. And yet still…he means something to me" the Chinese teenager expressed her feelings towards the man.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that" Miharu spoke up, agreeing with her friend just told her. "But think of it this way, if Jin really cared about you and all, he would've…like…given up on this hateful crusade of his and be with you. But from what you told me, he's still fixated upon vengeance towards his relatives….I don't know what you think but that to me sounds like he's…" Miharu was interrupted when Xiaoyu spoke up.

"Quit speaking as if you know the truth, Miharu! You don't know anything! Who are you to lecture me about love!?" Xiaoyu snapped at her, yet the Chinese teenager quickly saw the error of her tone. She felt ashamed of herself once again. "I'm so sorry, Miharu…I don't know that the hell's gotten into me" she apologized once again.

Miharu glanced at her sympathetically, understanding that Xiaoyu didn't mean to be so mad at her. "It's okay, Xiao. I understand your pain. But what I only ask of you is why you're willing to hold onto this pain for so long. First of all, let's be clear: Jin is no longer the same guy we knew back at Mishima High, right? I mean, you do remember all the crimes he committed while being the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu" she asked him, this time being more serious than usual.

Xiaoyu had to admit it was a hard question for her to answer. A part of her wanted to vehemently deny Miharu's suggestion. But another part of Xiaoyu told her not to be so deluded in her judgement. She would have to be honest, not coming up with whatever justification she had for Jin's wrongdoings

"You're right. I haven't forgotten what he has done. Those wars he started…...so many lives lost…for the sake of awakening some evil deity. But that doesn't matter, Jin's actions were inexcusable and I never condone such atrocious acts" Xiaoyu answered, being as honest as she could towards Miharu. Something else suddenly popped into the Chinese teenager's head. "But I believe that despite all this…Jin still deserves a second chance…he knows when to act remorseful….he was remorseful of his actions in capturing Angel" she then insisted to her best friend.

Miharu had to raise an eyebrow when hearing her question. "I understood the first part but…seriously? The Tekken Force claimed so many innocent lives during those campaigns of his, Xiao. The ICC now wants Jin tried for war crimes. Didn't you at least confront him about those subjects!?" she asked her.

"No, I didn't! And truth be told, I regret it!" Xiaoyu let the truth come out of her mouth. She faced her lap once again. "I said to myself that I was the one who was gonna stop Jin and make him see reason. But I failed. I'm such a clueless dimwit, sometimes!" she said, with tears slowly starting to drip onto her skirt.

Miharu and Panda could both see how sad Xiaoyu really was. They each tried their best to comfort her, knowing how it always helped her ease the pain and sadness.

"Xiao…..." Miharu lowly spoke up, not knowing what else to say in order to make her best friend feel any better.

With the hug, Xiaoyu slowly came back to her senses. She wiped off her tears and slowly started to remember something a distant relative of hers had told her. "Maybe gramps was right. I was only wasting my time and risking my life chasing after Jin. There's so much that I could've done for my own sake. Rather, I foolishly believed that Jin could be saved…but Jin couldn't even save himself" the Chinese teenager remarked while remembering the words of her relative: Wang Jinrei.

Hearing this made Miharu smile, and she was pleased with what her best friend was now trying to say. "I can't believe I'm saying this…but you've grown, Xiao" the Japanese teenager remarked while looking at her best friend.

Xiaoyu only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "You really think so?" she asked him before looking at herself for some reason, which confused both Miharu and Panda. "I think I've always been taller than you. But I'm still smaller than Panda, of course" she then spoke.

Miharu had to laugh when hearing this. "I didn't mean your size, silly. I meant your personality" she corrected Xiaoyu.

"Ah, yes! How could I've not realize that?" Xiaoyu asked while laughing nervously. "I must really be getting older if I can't remember things better" she then said humorously and her friends could tell that she meant it by heart. It glad to see her smile for once and not being sad over things that she could never hope to accomplish.

* * *

 _Inside a Violet Systems facility, the Bahamas_

Lee Chaolan had was standing with Alisa Bosconovitch, who had just finished collecting her memories with the help of a machine. Now, Lee felt it was time to see if his work had succeeded in restarting Alisa's systems. He would not go back on the promise he made to Lars. But Lee was not alone, as he was now joined by both Master Raven and Raven. The two agents had heard about Lee trying to repair Alisa, and were eager to see if she could be an ally to them or not.

"So, have you remembered anything?" Lee gently asked Alisa while she was lying on her back figuring it out. "About whom you were with when you first met me?" he asked her once again.

Alisa slowly rose up and looked at Lee. From the looks of it, Alisa seemed to have regained some of her memories of the past, including whom she had been accompanying on this journey.

"I remember fighting a man on Jin Kazama's orders….and being involved in so many battles too…." Alisa began recounting her experience. But it was not an easy task for the android to remember everything she had been through. "But no matter how hard I try, I can't remember anything else…..." she added while facing downwards with nothing but sadness. She still wanted to remember the man she had followed, one who treated her more as a human being rather than an android. Who was that man?

As the pinkette grew sadder within her, she suddenly felt tears streaming from her eyes. Alisa was stunned, given that she had never felt this way before.

"Tears…but why? I'm not supposed to….." Alisa was interrupted by the voice of Lee, as he took a seat beside her on the bed.

"The answer to that is simple. These tears betray your humanity, and express your strong desire to meet him" the silver-haired man told Alisa while wiping them with the help of a napkin.

Hearing this only made Alisa more curious. "My humanity…" the girl spoke up lowly. Lee got up from the bed and walked towards the two agents. It didn't take long before Alisa quickly started to identify one of these agents. It was Raven. "You….you're the agent with the x-shaped scar….the one who….." Alisa quickly recalled the time when she first met him.

Raven only acknowledged her with a nod. "It's been a while since we last spoke. Hopefully you're not following orders of the Mishima Zaibatsu anymore" the agent spoke up sternly, still having a cautious attitude towards Alisa. Even so, Alisa didn't seem to care, as she was more curious about the reason why he and that woman was here with Lee.

"So, you've helped reprogram her. I salute your efforts" Master Raven commended Lee, yet her eyes were still narrowing at him. "But where do you go from here? Do you plan on staying on the Bahamas?" she questioned him, still having her arms folded.

Lee shook his head as a no. "Nope. I've changed my mind" the CEO of Violet Systems spoke up before taking a glance at Alisa. "It is against my principles to see such an innocent creature such as you cry. Therefore, I shall take you to this man you still can't remember, Alisa" he then revealed to him.

Alisa was overjoyed and she got up from the bed and looked at Lee happily. "Really!?" she asked, to which Lee responded by nodding his head.

"Yes. We'll leave immediately" Lee told her and looked over to see the two agents. "I suppose you should also come with us, agents. Unlike that detective you're with, I know you're not only after the truth behind the Mishima feud. You're also after Jin" he then revealed to them.

While Raven had to furrow his brows in hearing this, Master Raven was still calm as she could be. "What makes you say that? At this rate, Jin Kazama is of no value to us. He died during the incident in Tokyo. His body was never found. There's no way he…." Raven was interrupted when his superior spoke up.

"Are you suggesting to us that Jin Kazama is in the hands of that Tekken Force rebel? Is that what you are implying?" Master Raven questioned him. She slightly scowled when realizing what Lee was telling them. "He has some nerves doing that. That man was supposed to be taken to the United Nations. The arrest warrant issued by the ICC still hangs over him" she added to her explanation.

"You misunderstand. What that rebel is trying to do is…." Lee was about to counter Master Raven's statement, yet something happened.

A loud bang could be heard inside the facility and the alarm had been sounded. Everyone in the room got cautious, as they were surprised by how this turned out. Lee reached for his phone and spoke with his secretary.

"What's happening? Why has the alarm been activated?" Lee asked his secretary.

" _Sir, you need to evacuate! The Tekken Force has now breached the facility and is now looking for you! I've received reports of Tekken Force soldiers approaching your mansion as well!_ " the lady spoke while sounding slightly distressed.

"How rude. They could have at least knocked" Lee groaned as he looked around before being on the phone again with his secretary. "Then make sure all the scientists are evacuated. And see if the cargo plane at the airstrip is still operating fine. We'll be there as soon as we can" he told his secretary.

" _Understood. Please take care of yourself, sir!_ " the secretary's voice could be heard before hanging up.

Lee and his compatriots turned their attention to one of the doors, which now had smoke coming out of it. It made them all cautious as they wondered whether there was fire in the facility or not.

But Alisa seemed to understand what it was, thanks to her robotic sensors. "Enemies detected. Tekken Force approaching" Alisa spoke cautiously.

Both Master Raven and Raven looked into the smoke, with Raven using the x-ray vision of his sunglasses to identify the incoming soldiers in the smoke. "She's right. There are several soldiers using the smoke as cover! Obviously, it must be a smoke grenade they're using!" the agent said while preparing his fighting stance.

Master Raven turned her attention to Lee. "Damn! And just when things couldn't get more complicated" she cursed while holding the sheath of her ninja sword. The black woman turned her attention to Lee. "But what about Detective Lei and the others? If there are indeed Tekken Force soldiers at your mansion as well, then they'll need assistance as well. Lei is capable of holding on his own, but the same thing can't be said for the kids" she told him.

Lee smiled once he heard this. "Well said, madam. And I know just the kind of assistance they will be needing" the silver-haired man said as he began tapping on his phone for some reason. "There. Now they should be able to hold on their own" he exclaimed with pride.

But the agents were still confused at what he had just done. "What do you mean by that? You just tapped on the phone. Were you trying to reach them through social media or something?" Raven quizzed Lee.

"A funny suggestion, but no. I actually activated one of my finest creations made by Violet Systems. I assure you, it will be more than enough help to them. But I am pretty sure Lei will call me soon enough" the man dressed in violet said as he looked at the incoming soldiers. "But quit worrying about them. We should worry about us getting out of her alive" he then tried to make Raven see what was really important.

Raven only grunted in reply. "Freaking smartass….." he muttered beneath his breath, yet Lee didn't seem to care what the agent thought of him.

But all of a sudden, Lee began coughing and it became apparent to the others what this smoke really was. The agents quickly switched to their gas masks while Alisa helped Lee.

"Lee!" she expressed her worries as Alisa was no affected by this gas. She carried him to another location by using her jetpack. "It's just as I thought. This isn't smoke. It's gas!" Alisa then said as she sat Lee on a long desk, where he could run and find something to cover for his face.

Master Raven and Raven quickly began engaging in combat with the Tekken Force soldiers and Alisa joined in the fight and provided cover from above. Even so, the two agents were more than capable enough to take care of these soldiers, using their remarkable ninjutsu to avoid getting shot.

"How the hell did they find us in here!?" Raven asked through his gas mask.

His superior had just dealt a blow to some of the soldiers while hearing this. "A couple of days ago, the Tekken Force launched an assault on Violet System's HQ in Japan. It's apparent that they are desperate to deprive the G Corp for any potential allies" Master Raven answered while seeing a soldier charge towards her, only for the woman to vanish in the blink of an eye. She then appeared above him and landed an attack.

Alisa was good in helping the agents, yet as she had managed to kick one of the enemies away, another one had snuck behind her. Alisa was caught off guard, the solider aiming his rifle at her. But before the agents could notice it, Lee suddenly entered the fight, saving Alisa by kicking the soldier away. He had been wearing a gas mask himself.

"I'm fine, Alisa. Now let me take care of things here" Lee told her.

"Roger" Alisa replied and stood behind him for cover.

Once all the soldiers were gone and the gas slightly gone, the agents and Lee removed their masks and realized that the air was clean. However, the trouble was far from over. A new round of Tekken Force entered the facility, but they were accompanied by none other than Heihachi's pet himself: Kuma. Joining him was his recently appointed second-in-command: Josie Rizal. The group of fighters were ready to defend themselves, yet Kuma didn't send his men at them.

"(Lower your weapons! Remember, we need that man alive!)" Kuma roared and every soldier obeyed in response. The bear in Tekken Force gear turned his attention to Lee. "(You're not going anywhere, Lee Chaolan! Heihachi wants to have a few words with you)" the bear told the silver-haired man, who was so far, not intimidated by him.

Lee only mused to himself in hearing Kuma talking to him. "Hmm, well what do you know. Turns out that Heihachi really did induct his pet into the Tekken Force. Honestly, what is that old man thinking, making these poor choices?" he remarked, trying to taunt his opponent.

Kuma growled in hearing this. "(I won't even dignify that with a response)" the bear snapped back at Lee. But Kuma soon turned his attention to Alisa, as well as the two agents accompanying. "(And you! You're that girl who was seen hanging around the Tekken Force rebel: Lars Alexandersson. What are you doing here?)" he demanded some answers out of the pinkette.

Alisa was stunned, yet she realized something. The name Kuma had just uttered out, it sounded very familiar to her. "Lars Alexandersson…" Alisa uttered out while her memories slowly started to come back to her. She now remembered the man whom she had once fought against under the orders of Jin Kazama.

"What we do here is none of your concern, Mishima pet" Master Raven told the bear sternly as she was facing the creature with such bravery, despite Kuma being taller than her. "And if you had any sense you would go back to the forest where you belong" the woman added.

Kuma could not stand such disrespect and cockiness towards him. "(I don't take orders from someone like you! I will make you learn your place by cracking your skull!)" the bear growled and was about to make his move towards the group, with some of his subordinates following suit.

Master Raven quickly nodded her head towards her subordinate, thus giving him a signal. Raven responded quickly by reaching for something around his waist and grabbed hold of it. He then held it with his right hand, but not before telling his compatriots of what he was about to do.

"EVERYONE, COVER YOUR EYES!" he yelled before throwing what appeared to be some kind of stun grenade, which was quite powerful. This throw took the Tekken Force soldiers completely by surprise, since Raven was quick to do it. Amidst this commotion. Raven looked at Lee. "Is there a shortcut out of this facility?" he asked him.

Lee responded by nodding his head as a yes to his question. "Follow me. I'll lead you to the nearest exit" the CEO of Violet Systems told them and they all disappeared behind a door belonging. However, they would have to get out fast, as the Tekken Force wouldn't stop pursuing them across the Bahamas, if not the entire world.

* * *

 _Inside Lee Chaolan's mansion_

While the agents were visiting Lee inside his facility, Detective Lei Wulong and his friends were left to take care of Lee's fancy mansion. While Asuka, Christie and Leo wanted to go to the pool, the agents had strictly told them not to. Lei, who saw the merit in what the agents were saying, decided to keep them inside with him as well. Right now, he was on Lee's computer with Steve standing with him. The Chinese man had asked if Steve could help him with gathering some important files and they were more than happy to oblige.

"Here. I found these files lying on top of the bookshelf" Steve told his friend while watching him work on the computer. "I swear, don't you ever get tired of sitting on your bottom for many hours?" he then asked him.

Lei only shrugged off Steve's question. "This may be the key of ending this war, Steve. I may be a simple policeman, but I can't stand by as the Mishimas use the world as their own personal playground. Someone has to do something about it. I know that I'm doing helping those victims of the war by fighting the Mishimas directly, but it's a start" Lei told Steve as he kept tapping on the keyboard.

Hearing this couldn't help but to make Steve smile. "Sure. You have my full backing here, mate" the British man told him.

But as they were onto their business, they suddenly heard one of the girls screaming. It came from Christie. Both Lei and Steve wondered what it was. It sounded as if he was in trouble.

"What the hell was that!?" Steve asked as he rushed down the stairs, with Lei accompanying him.

"I don't know. But those better not be watching those horror movies. You've no idea what kind of traumas they can create" Lei replied as he quickly walked.

But as Steve and Lei walked down the stairs and entered the hall way, they could see Christie, Asuka and Leo approaching them with nothing but shock on their faces. They all seemed distressed and Lei could tell that by only looking at their faces.

"Girls, what's up?" Lei asked them.

"Lei. There are severed armored vehicles parked around this mansion! Soldiers of the Tekken Force are now surrounding us!" Christie told him.

The Chinese man's eyes widened in shock and he quickly entered the living room where the biggest windows could be seen. He froze as he could see the Tekken Force already aiming their weapons at everything in the living room, including Lei. He quickly moved away as the soldiers opened fire, shooting everything in their path.

"Shit! They're shooting us!" Steve yelled as he heard shots being fired.

"What do we do!?" Asuka asked her friends.

"Upstairs! All of you! Quickly!" Lei told them and they did that without hesitation. It was terrible as they could hear things being shot in the background. But Lei soon realized that gunshots could also be heard from the door. "You're right, Christie. They really are surrounding us! We better get moving!" the policeman told her.

"But what will be find upstairs!?" Leo asked him. "There's no exit! Are you suggesting we jump off the roof!?" she then asked Lei once again, wondering if they were serious about jumping so high from above.

"Just get upstairs! I need to collect the files of my research!" Lei snapped and pushed his friends upwards so that they wouldn't regret slow him down. The group of friends entered Lee's office and Lei quickly started to search for his files. In the meantime, he grabbed his handgun and made sure it was loaded. Fortunately for him, it was. However, Lei still had to concentrate on the files. He quickly downloaded them into a tiny USB. "Alright! I got the files! Now all that it takes is to get outta here!" Lei told his friends.

"Easier said than done! How are we gonna get out of this mansion from up here!?" Asuka snapped at the policeman. "At this rate, we're sitting ducks here! Jumping from the roof is probably not the best idea!" the Japanese girl added gruffly.

"Asuka has a point" Christie spoke up, agreeing with Asuka's sentiment. She then looked at Lei. "But why are the Mishima Zaibatsu here all of a sudden? Shouldn't they be focused on the G Corp instead of us?" the Brazilian woman questioned her friends.

"It's hard for me to answer that, Christie. However, I assume that since the incident above the Tokyo skyline, the Zaibatsu is now hellbent on winning this war, as well as eliminating any potential threats. This must be the reason why he is making his move on Violet Systems" Lei told her while slowly before turning his attention to the windows. He snuck to them, trying to get a peek of what it was outside. The view was not pretty. While observing, Lei made sure not to be seen by whoever was standing outside. "Damnit. The Tekken Force is only toying with us. They wait till we go outside the mansion and then fire their weapons. That is possibly what they are doing, given why they have never bothered entered the mansion" he commented while observing the scene.

"So, you're saying this is the end of us?" Steve asked before slamming his fist to a nearby wall. "Those bastards! Like I will ever let this be the end of me!" the British boxer exclaimed, refusing to give up without a fight.

Asuka smirked while cracking her knuckles. "I say the same thing!" she spoke up her mind.

"Then how about we start figuring out a plan to…" Leo was speaking, but something caught everyone's minds.

A grenade was shot through the office's window and the group of friends got cautious. They did not see this coming, yet they were soon given a clear understanding of what this grenade actually was. Lei and his friends began coughing intensively.

"WHAT IS THIS!?" Christie asked while struggling with her coughing.

"IT'S GAS GRENADE! THEY'RE TRYING TO FORCE US OUT!" Leo snapped as she was also struggling with the same thing.

Lei opened the door and motioned for everyone to follow him. "WE GOTTA MOVE TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION! HURRY UP!" the Chinese man called to his friends and they all followed suit. He then closed the door. Once they were in the hallway, they all managed to stop the coughing. This enabled them to breathe some sighs of relief. "Thank God. These guys really are persistent" Lei uttered lowly.

"Yeah, no kidding" Asuka agreed with Lei.

"But we can't keep up like this! We gotta find a way outta here!" Christie told everyone before facing Lei. "Try contacting Lee and see if he can be of any help to you!" she then told him.

"Help us? Sorry to disappoint you, Christie, but I am confident that he already has his hands full with the Tekken Force at the Violet System's facility. No way he will be of any help to us" Lei pointed out to her.

Hearing this made actually sense to Christie and she quickly felt bad about what she said earlier. "Right. I almost forgot" she told him.

"But Christie is right in one thing, though. We can't just stand here and…" Lei was about to tell his friends what they would be doing, until something really unexpected happened near their standpoint.

Something had just dropped itself through the mansion's roof and had now landed in the hallway. Lei and his friends stood their guard, wondering who it could be. Had someone just blown off the ceiling with a missile launcher? As soon as the dust settled, they were in for a shock once they could see who was standing before them. It appeared to be gigantic robot, with strong, sturdy armor and lustrous weaponry. For Lei, this robot seemed awfully similar to something he had read about during his research of the Mishima Zaibatsu.

"WHAT THE…...DID THAT THING JUST FALL THROUGH THE ROOF!?" Leo asked in disbelief.

"Bloody hell…..." Steve cursed underneath his breath. "Honestly, I expected that thing to just fall through the entire building as a whole" the blonde-haired man told his friends.

As the machine fixed it's target towards the group, they all readied their fighting stances. "I've read about that robot before. This is the robot called NANCY-MI847J, developed by Mishima Heavy Industries. But to my understanding, it was supposed to be destroyed. Raven told me that" Lei informed his friends of this machine before them.

"Looks like they must've rebuilt it, somehow" Leo remarked from what she was seeing. But the NANCY soon turned its attention on them. "Woah. It's now turned its attention towards us!" the German girl snapped.

The robot began taking steps towards the group. But that was not all. It soon began changing its arms into machine guns. Lei and his friends knew that the NANCY was aiming to shoot them and they were to late to figure out a way to cover themselves. In desperation, Lei tried to shot the robot. But the bullets wouldn't even so much as a scratch on the NANCY.

"This is bad! My bullets aren't even denting it!" Lei exclaimed in distress.

"Shit! We're toasted!" Steve yelled as the gigantic robot was ready to fire at them in full force.

The NANCY was about to fire endlessly, until something interrupted it from above. Lei and his group were surprised when they saw what appeared to be a humanoid robot using one of the giant hanging lights of the ceiling to land damage on the NANCY, as well was distract it from chasing after the gang of friends. Electricity seemed weaken the NANCY and it was gradually shut down. to Lei and the others were stunned as they could see what kind of robot had just helped them. Still, they were confused of what it was.

"What is this? Is this another of the Zaibatsu's creations?" Christie asked while readying her fighting stance. To their surprise, the robot began mimicking Christie's fighting style and moved in the same rhythm as capoeira fighters did. It astounded the Brazilian woman. "Hey! It's copying my moves!" she then exclaimed with utter dispassion.

"Strange. Perhaps this robot is something that likes to mimic people, almost like a mime" Asuka noted from observing the robot's behavior.

"I don't think so, Asuka" Lei said while lowering his gun, knowing what that robot actually was. "Lee have shown that robot before, during the King of Iron Fist Torunament 4. It's Combot, humanoid robot created by Violet Systems" the policeman said, even smiling as he thought about that fact.

"A humanoid robot?" Steve asked Lei before deciding to try something. The young man began standing in his boxing position. To his surprise, Combot began doing the exact same thing as he did. "Woah…...no kidding!" the boxer was stunned to see how Combot also did the boxing stance, even though it didn't have hands as he did.

"Amazing, isn't it? Due to its powerful learning AI function, Combot is suitable for a wide spectrum of applications from childcare, housekeeping, and even military duty. I can see why Lee takes pride in it" Lei remarked as he witnessed Combot mimicking Steve. "But I really don't wish for it to copy my fighting style. Nope, only I am worthy of using it" he then thought to himself.

As they were all impressed by Combot's skills, the NANCY soon came online. With it's incredible height and capabilities, the gigantic robot managed to toss away the giant ceiling lighting that it had been stuck with. The NANCY began moving towards the Lei and his group and they all knew what was at stake here.

"Damnit! That thing's coming at us again!" Asuka cursed as she could see the NANCY beginning to prepare what appeared to be some kind of laser attack. "And it does not seem happy with what Combot just did!" the Japanese girl added to her fears.

The NANCY fired its metallic fists towards the group, yet the group of friends narrowly managed to avoid getting hit by hitting the floor. Even so, the robot was still not finished and proceeded to move towards them.

"How do we get past it!? It's blocking our only way to the stairways!" Leo asked her friends.

But they had already seen Combot entering a door to their right side, as if it was trying to show them the way. The group of friends could to their utter astonishment see what appeared to be a sliding pole, used by firemen at their stations during emergencies. Combot grabbed hold of the pole and began sliding down. Without hesitation, Lei and his compatriots did the same thing and slid down the pole. Anything to get away from this rampaging NANCY, as it had already begun firing its laser across the hallway. Once they had landed, the group found themselves in what appeared to be a garage. They could tell it by looking at the many fancy vehicles they saw being parked in this dark place.

"An emergency exit to the garage? Not bad, Lee" Lei remarked while looking at the pole. But they had no time to be standing around, as the NANCY could still pursue them, let alone just crush its way to reach their location. "Alright! We need to get out of here fast! Which of these cars should we take?" the police man began asking his friends.

"I think we don't need to choose, Lei" Steve said as he pointed his finger towards a fancy big car. It was a violet Hummer H3 with seven seats inside, including in it's trunk. And right now, Combot was now taking the driver's seat, even started the ignition. "Combot already has done that for us" the young man added.

"A Hummer H3? But I thought that brand had stopped producing cars like many years ago" Leo said, not believing what she was seeing.

"Well, given how eccentric and bizarre Lee Chaolan is, I'm not surprised that he would be interested in possessing cars such as this" Christie spoke up

"And I think I see the reason why. Just look at all those seats!" Asuka exclaimed. "I've never seen a car like this before!" she exclaimed, despite how many cars she had seen back in Osaka.

"How about we talk less and just enter the car?" Lei then reminded everyone as he took his seat beside Combot, who was the driver. His friends soon began taking their seats, with Steve, Christie and Asuka sitting on the passenger seats while Leo sat on one of the seats in the trunk. Lei turned his attention to Combot as the robot was holding the steering wheel. "So, you also know how to drive as well? Now that's awesome. But do you know where we should go? And about where Lee and the others are?" the policeman asked Combot.

Combot only gazed at Lei and nodded its head as a yes to that statement. It then returned it's focus on the windshield.

"Letting a robot drive us to safety? My head must be spinning around" Steve expressed his opinion of letting Combot driving a car.

"We're just gonna have to trust it, Steve. Since Combot was created by Lee, I assume that it knows which way to go and get us out of this mess" Lei assured Steve, yet the British man was not the only one to feel this way.

"Tch, that's easier said than doooooooooooneeeee!" Christie yelled at the end of the sentence due to Combot accelerating so fast that the car went in a fast speed.

The Hummer was driving towards the garage's entry, which had already begun opening. Still, Combot was driving so fast that the car almost succeeded in destroying some of the garage door. But still, that wasn't what stunned Lei and his friends the most. Combot drove right into the surrounding Tekken Force, who were shocked to see a Hummer appear out of the mansion. They were too slow to fire their weapons and instead focused on avoiding getting hit by the giant car. The Hummer then proceeded to drive on the road and away from Lee's mansion.

"WOAH!" Lei exclaimed as he looked at Combot. "Some driving skills you have!" he then complimented the robot, although he was unsure if it was supposed to be sarcastic or not. The policeman then looked over his shoulder to see his friends. "Everything okay back there, guys?" he asked them.

Christie, Asuka and Steve didn't necessarily seem thrilled over what they found themselves in.

"Does it look like we're doing okay!? We're escaping the Tekken Force while letting on a robot drive us, for crying out loud!" Asuka snapped at him.

"Make sure that he drives safe and fast at the same time! Robots may be invulnerable to car accidents, but we're not!" Christie told the Chinese man.

Lei looked at the GPS that showed him and Combot a map of where they were at. From the looks of it, they were in the area where Violet Systems had their HQ on the Bahamas. But right now, Lei could spot something else on the GPS. Right beside where the facility was located, it looked as if an airstrip was lying beside it. Turns out it was really the case here. The policeman couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Hold on. Does Lee actually have his own airstrip in this area?" Lei quizzed Combot, who was so far more focused on the driving.

Suddenly, the screen on the GPS began blurring and the face of Lee himself could be seen on the screen. The silver-haired man was smiling smugly as usual.

"Mr. Lee. How did you do that? And where the heck are you?" Lei exclaimed while wanting to know some answers.

" _Hello, detective. I see that you and your friends are on the road as we speak. I knew Combot would ever disappoint. But time is short, my friends. I take it the Tekken Force were also ransacking my mansion. They did that too in my facility_ " he informed them.

"You got that right. But how do we get outta here?" Lei asked him.

" _Right now, me alongside Alisa Bosconovitch and the agents from the UN have boarded a cargo plane in my personal airstrip. We're almost set to takeoff in a minute. Combot will drive you into the plane as we do that_ " Lee informed them.

Lei and his friends were all stunned to what they were hearing him say. "Hold on! Do you realize how loony you sound right now?" Steve asked from the passenger seat. "How do you think that will work?" he added to his question in disbelief.

" _It's the only option we have left. Now you're almost here. Better fasten your seatbelts. Because Combot is gonna take you for one heck of a ride. See you soon!_ " those were the finals words of Lee before his face disappeared on the GPS.

"Wait! Hold on…." Lei tried to communicate but it was too late. The Chinese man sighed deeply in return. "Why me…." he said while rubbing his face.

"Guys! There are several armored cars chasing after us!" Leo suddenly called out to her friends from the trunk.

Looking at the mirrors, Lei could see that some of the Tekken Force's armored cars were now onto them. To make matters worse, some of the soldiers were shooting at them with their weapons. Leo quickly ducked in cover, as did Steve, Christie and Asuka. The bullets kept shooting through the glass, yet none of them hit Lei.

"They're shooting at us!" Christie exclaimed in shock and terror of what she was just experiencing.

"Hold on tight, guys! We're at the airstrip!" Lei said as the group had just arrived at the Violet System's personal airstrip.

Driving past the facility, the purple Hummer was now driving on the long airstrip. The cargo plane that Lee was already piloting had now begun the takeoff. Combot held on tight to the steering wheel as he tried to avoid getting hit by incoming armored cars, as well as getting slowed down. But in the minute before they felt like they couldn't make it, Combot suddenly used something. Apparently, this Hummer had nitro and with it, it could drive in a fast speed. Thanks to the nitro, the group made it into the cargo plane, just as it was about to fly above the airstrip and up to the air. In other words, it was a close call.

* * *

 _All across the great cities of the world_

As the conflict between the Zaibatsu and the G Corp continued, people in the great cities of the world were still struggling to cope with everyday life. It was as if a new world war had taken hold, thus affecting people across the globe. But what many of these giant cities had in common was the fact that it was a perfect place for people to gather, especially with regards to news and other important matters. Right now, those people who were watching television now had their programs interrupted. But that was not the only case here. The giant screens in the cities were also switched on and they revealed the symbol of the Zaibatsu before zooming out to show them all the boss himself: Heihachi Mishima. People across the globe were wondering what he wanted from them now.

Heihachi was facing the camera as if to watch and speak to every person. Dressed in his fancy coat, the Patriarch of the Mishima clan now had some news to share with the entire world. People in Japan, China, Russia, USA, Britain, France, Germany, Brazil and Australia were now being informed of what it was. Thanks to the Zaibatsu's hackers, Heihachi was able to deliver this message to every people across the globe. They all listened to what was being said.

" _Greetings, citizens of the world. It has been a while since I last delivered you a message such as this. It is the second time I do this since my return to the Mishima Zaibatsu. And you all know what I am about to say. This is a message for all the fighters around the world! I am pleased to announce that the King of Iron Fist Tournament is back! Yes, the same tournament that will determine which fighter's fists can match up to mine! This will be my fourth time hosting it! I challenge all the fighters to come face me in Japan! Who can defeat me in combat? The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 will decide that! Anyone who wins this tournament will be rewarded very handsomely. As a matter of fact, I will even make the winner by protégé and successor! How does that sound for a reward? Gather your wits and come visit me at the Zaibatsu HQ in Japan! I am confident that none of you wants to miss this golden opportunity. That is my message I wanted to deliver to you. Farewell, and good luck to all of you!_ " the announcement was quite a shocker for the battered people of the world.

It made no sense. Why would Heihachi suddenly arrange a tournament while the world was suffering from war? Did he wish to legitimize the Zaibatsu's war effort by arranging his tournament? Was he trying to lure out his enemies in the G Corp to attack them? So many questions and thoughts swirled around the minds of people across the globe, and they couldn't understand why. Either way, the thought of having a new tournament only made it more tempting for fighters to come, especially those who were unemployed and had nothing else to do.

* * *

 _Hidden in the darkness, somewhere in the world_

While the entire world was stunned to hear the Heihachi's announcement of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7, not everyone was necessary interested in what was going on. As people kept gossiping about the upcoming tournament and how it would affect them, signs of darkness lurked in the shadows, but not in the form of either the Zaibatsu or the G Corp. This took place in a hall that resembled that of a cathedral. But it was a very dark place with little light. What kind of organization dwelled in places like this?

While many would assume it to be a hideout for the Archers of Sirius, it was not the case here. All these dark-hooded cultists were silently sitting as if they were communicating with a mysterious evil. At the end of the red carpet running across the hall, there was someone standing there, surveying all these cultists. He wore similar clothing as his followers, only that he wore a gas mask that covered his entire face. However, an evil aura developed around him and his glowing purple eyes could be seen. His gloves looked as if they were robotic. It was unknown if his hands were missing. His hood was made of dirty cloth, which was different from the hoods the monks wore.

A hologram of the globe was suddenly showed in the middle of this dark hall and all the cultists turned their attention to it. Their leader began pacing around it, starting to explain what was happening around the world to his followers. It was a speech to be more exact.

"As the world teeters from the ongoing war between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation, that old fool Heihachi Mishima has gone to new heights of ignorance by announcing a new tournament. Apparently, he wants to have this tournament as a means to divert attention from the war. How predictable. He can't possibly be that foolish" the masked man spoke up, his voice hollowing the hall as he looked at the globe. "But we know where the root of all this mess lies, brothers and sisters. A mere tournament is not something that is worth taking part of. Rather, we shall do what the people really desire most: an end to this war. Heihachi Mishima and Kazuya Mishima must die! Their powers will then be used for the benefit of our order! We will use whatever means to reach out goal of a secure and safe world, even if it means embracing the shadows and darkness. Such is the way of the Acolytes of Pluton!" he then raised one of his metallic hands in the air, much to the cheering and praising of his followers.

"MASTER! MASTER! MASTER! MASTER!" the cultists kept chanting repeatedly as he stood and accepted them humbly. There was no question how deeply respected that man was.

Their master eased their cheers and their voices soon lowered itself. "We all know that is at stake here. Jin Kazama may be still alive somewhere, but he is of no concern to us at the moment. All that matters are that we bring down the two Mishimas, especially the one with the powers of the Devil. I will personally see to that happening. No one shall escape the wrath of Revenant! Not as long as I possess these psychic powers of mine! The world will be saved by the shadows of Pluton! That is what I promise to you, brothers and sisters! Victory will be ours!" the man calling himself Revenant exclaimed while demonstrating his dark powers in front of his followers.

All the cultists awed at the power he carried and they all sang praises for him once again. They chanted the name he was known to have: Revenant. Who was this man? And what sort of malicious motive did he have for "saving" the world from the shadows? Whoever he was, the world now had a third person to take great caution of, not just Heihachi and Kazuya. But whether he and these Acolytes of Pluton was ally or enemy of Earth's population remained to be seen.

 _To be continued…_


	9. Call to Fists

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Part 9: Call to Fists**

 _The text written on the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 posters, across the globe_

Since Heihachi's announcement, giant posters had begun appearing in cities all across the world. The people would usually gather in crowds and read what was written on them. Despite the size of the crowds, only a few handful of fighters would be brave enough to answer Heihachi's call. The posters were in in all kinds of languages, from English, French and Russian to Japanese, Chinese and Arabic. It was a global call to every fighter. Heihachi would do anything to attract these battle-hardened souls to his tournament.

 _All fighters across the globe are to assemble at the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ in Tokyo, Japan. It is there the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 will be opened. We have already made preparations for it, and the only things missing are the fighters. For those who of you who live in the Americas, sign up for entry at the harbor in Los Angeles, United States of America. A ship will take you across the Pacific Ocean to Japan. The ship leaves the harbor early, so those who wishes to participate must sign up for the tournament before it's too late. There will be no delay for any contestants. For those of you who live in Eurasia, sign up for entry at the harbor in Shanghai, China. A ship will take you across the East China Sea to Japan. There will be no delays there as well, so try signing up for the tournament in time. Now as for those already living in Japan, you may as well start signing up now. However, you will have to wait a few days before you can attend the opening. Now you know the first steps towards the King of Iron First Tournament 7. You will be briefed on how the tournament is organized after the opening session. I expect every fighter to show up. After all, one may have the chance to become my protégé in handling the Zaibatsu. Don't disappoint me. Until I see you outside my HQ, a fond farewell to you fighters._

 _Heihachi Mishima, CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu_

Those were the words written on the posters across the globe. Now the only question is what kind of fighters would be brave enough to meet up at either Los Angeles or Shanghai and sail to Japan. Either way, they would all be drawn to not just promises of riches and wealth, but also a chance to improve their fighting skills and show the world why they deserved to be respected.

* * *

 _Inside a shack, in San Francisco, USA_

In the shack were Paul Phoenix lived, there were great news to hear. Right now, Paul and his best friend Marshall Law, were watching the TV to see on the news. They were both surprise from what they were seeing. It was Heihachi Mishima's announcement of the King of Iron Tournament 7. Truth be told, this was something both men had waited to hear in a long time, although Marshall was somewhat skeptical about this.

"You hear that, Marshall? The old man's finally done it! The next King of Iron Fist Tournament is back!" Paul exclaimed gleefully while cracking his knuckles. "It's about time! I was starting to feel rusty in beating all those common thugs on the streets! Now I get to fight REAL fighters once again!" he went on expressing his delight in the tournament being announced.

While Marshall smiled at Paul in return, he felt it was too early to celebrate just yet. "Yeah. I was wondering when they would announce it. But something's not right here, Paul?" the Chinese-American fighter told him as he began pondering over what had transpired recently. "I mean, the global war, the incident above Tokyo, and now they wanna held the tournament all of a sudden? It doesn't make any sense" he added.

Paul grunted in reply. "I hear ya, buddy. But that's just the type of guys the Mishimas are. They always expect us to be prepared for the unexpected" Paul assured his best friend before tapping him on his shoulder. "But look on the bright side, Marshall. Now is the opportunity to find that Chinese Kenpo guy I told you about. He will most likely be at the tournament. You do wanna save your dojo, right?" he then reminded Marshall about what he really wanted.

Marshall was immediately drawn back to the reality he currently found himself in. Yes, the dojo was failing and Marshall started to worry himself about his family's future. "You know…you're right Paul" Marshall said as he stood up from the couch facing his friend. "I don't care about how messed up this world is, I'm heading over to Japan. Anything to save my dojo. You coming with me?" he asked him.

Paul rose up from the couch and grinned cockily. "Heh! Damn right, I am! Not only do I hope to win the prize money" the American judo fighter told Marshall while thinking about a certain person. "He may never show up, but I'm certain Kazuya will show his face sometime in the tournament. There's no way he would avoid getting himself involved" he revealed another motive for entering the tournament.

Marshall furrowed eyebrows while hearing this. "You sure about that, Paul? I mean, that guy's the CEO of the G Corp. Why in the world would he expose himself to his enemies by entering the tournament?" he asked Paul.

Paul responded by only shrugging his shoulders. "Nah, it's just my instincts telling me" he told his best friend. "However, given what I've gotten myself into with Jin, I'm sure the Mishima Zaibatsu will keep their eyes on me. But I'll manage myself" Paul assured Marshall with pride in his voice.

"Glad to hear you're as enthusiastic as ever, Paul" Marshall noted but he was now thinking about something. "Gee, I wonder what kind of other fighters that will come at the tournament" the Chinese-American martial artist remarked while thinking about the many fighters that would without question enter the tournament.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the rural areas of Nakatsugawa, Gifa, Japan_

A family of Japanese farmers were watching the announcement of the King of Iron Fist Torunament 7 on their TV. But unbeknownst to them, someone was watching the TV near the window to the living room, without getting caught by the farmers. Only one man could pull of something like this. It was the swordsman named Yoshimitsu. As soon as he had heard what he needed to hear, the swordsman took off and headed towards the nearby forest. He was headed towards the mountain called Sakiyama.

Yoshimitsu couldn't help but to reflect on what had happened so far. He sat on a branch. Since Jin's disappearance after the incident over Tokyo, Yoshimitsu had returned to his shady business with the Manji Clan, once again helping the poor and downtrodden against the rich and greedy. It was what Yoshimitsu felt was best for him, given that he had no other goals to focus on, and Bryan Fury had stopped pursuing him, thus giving Yoshimitsu some breathing space.

However, the ninja still knew that things were far from safe for the likes of him. All over the world, people still suffered. Even so, Yoshimitsu would fulfill his duties as the carrier of this magical sword. He knew that if he and the Manji Clan could no longer hide in the shadows. They would need to act in order to save the world.

"It will appear that I can no longer stay silent, not as long as Heihachi Mishima and Kazuya Mishima continue to use the world as their personal playground. Both men must answer for their crimes" Yoshimitsu noted to himself.

But as Yoshimitsu was in deep thought, he could feel something headed towards him from behind. His senses were sharp and like any ninja, Yoshimitsu reacted by turning around to grab what was supposed to hit him. The swordsman was slightly stunned to see what he was holding. It was a kunai.

"A kunai…it couldn't possibly be…" Yoshimitsu pondered until he could sense so much movement in the bushes. Feeling certain that someone was pursuing him, the ninja jumped off the branch and landed on the pathway in the forest. He threw away the kunai and held onto his sword. "I know you are out here somewhere! Show yourself…Kunimitsu!" he called out the name of someone he knew.

A female laughter could be heard not far from Yoshimitsu's location. Out of nowhere, somebody landed not far from him. It was a woman, but not just any woman. She had red hair, which she kept tied into ponytails. She also wore a white mask resembling that of a fox. But the mask didn't cover her lower face, thus exposing her red lips. Her outfit consisted of a purple side-tie dress with floral decorations, white boots with black knee pads and matching gloves. And finally, she carried a kunai in her right hand. It was quite similar to the one Yohsimitsu was holding. The woman smirked as she and Yoshimitsu's gazes met each other.

"Long time no see…Yoshimitsu" she spoke up smugly.

"Kunimitsu…" Yoshimitsu uttered out the woman's name. "You dare show yourself before me? After all the dishonor you've brought upon the clan?" he asked, although he spoke with a hint of firmness in his tone.

Kunimitsu was once a member of the Manji Clan alongside Yoshimitsu and other ninjas. Her talents in ninjutsu was noticeable to her comrades. While initially abiding by the rules of the Manji Clan, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, she later began to steal from the clan's funds for her own benefit. Therefore, she was expelled from it as a result, but Kunimitsu wasn't done with the Manji Clan just yet. She would constantly seek to snatch the blade off Yoshimitsu, but to no avail.

"Don't speak to me as if I'm still your subordinate. I am my own boss now" Kunimitsu spoke up sternly.

"Yet you follow this foolish path of stealing riches to your own benefit, as well as your grandfather's" Yoshimitsu replied, yet he wanted to get more serious with his former comrade. "But enough of the pleasantries. Why have you come here? Are you still determined to catch my sword for your dishonorable grandfather?" the swordsman spoke up.

Kunimitsu frowned deeply. "As much as I would like to take it from you, I'm afraid that isn't the case here. But mark my words, someday, that sword will be mine" she told him before deciding to move over to other matters. "Now as for my reason to reach out to you. I take it you've heard the news about the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 being arranged in Japan. Obviously, you plan on attending it. A risky move, considering how you aided Jin Kazama in freeing Angel from the Zaibatsu's captivity" she revealed, a cunning smirk forming across her lips.

Yohsimitsu remained calm. "Angel being freed was Jin's priority, not mine. My priority was to collect the reward money and help those people affected by this global war" the ninja revealed to her.

"Is that so? Well, you certainly haven't changed a bit since we last met. Stubborn as ever, I see" Kunimitsu remarked.

"My stubbornness has its uses in saving the helpless, unlike you and your selfishness. And more importantly, what I have done in the best interest of the clan is not for a common thief like you to judge" Yoshimitsu said, his hand moving over towards his blade.

Kunimitsu folded her arms. "So, helping a man responsible for killing millions was in the clan's best interests? To me, that sounds like double standards" she reprimanded him. "All the more reason why you may not be worthy of carrying that sword. Wouldn't you agree?" she then added, trying to taunt him.

Yoshimitsu was growing weary of Kunimitsu's outspoken attitude. "If you have come here to only mock my dignity, then I will eliminate you on the spot. You have been a pest to me for the last time. That is why I am willing to put an end to this. And this time, I will show you no mercy!" he then gave the woman a warning.

Surprisingly, Kunimitsu suddenly turned around so that her back was facing him. However, the red-haired kunoichi did look over her shoulder to face her former comrade. "Calm yourself, Yoshimitsu. I won't unleash my kunai at you. Not yet. Instead, we can settle this feud of ours in the tournament. I could care less about the world being in conflict or the Mishima Zaibatsu for that matter. What really matters to me is getting your sword. And I WILL get it by any means necessary, even if it means I have to kill you. Enjoy your final days while you still breathe, false swordsman!" those were the finals words Kunimitsu told her former comrade before disappearing with the help of a smoke bomb.

Yoshimitsu remained calm, yet he did let out a sigh not long after the smoke cleared. He couldn't believe that old enmities had begun to return to him. Now it was not only Bryan who was after his hide, but Kunimitsu as well. The ninja was growing slightly frustrated over these problems.

"I guess the world is not the only thing that hasn't changed. The people who live in also haven't changed. When change really come, I am not so sure" Yoshimitsu said before turning around to continue walking on this path. He would soon reach the Manji Clan hideout near Sakiyama.

* * *

 _Inside a cathedral called "Duomo di Sirio", Rome, Italy_

Since the incident at Tokyo, Claudio Serafino and his Archers of Sirius had decided to lay low for a while, given that they had turned on Heihachi in order to save Angel from captivity. But things hadn't gone the way the Italian exorcists had expected, given that Angel had used her extraordinary powers to resurrect dead soldiers to fight for her. It was unlike anything Claudio had ever seen. Once Angel disappeared in the explosion above Tokyo, he and the exorcists returned to Italy, or more specifically their cathedral in Rome.

Right now, Claudio was watching the television hanging on the wall, with his fellow exorcists standing beside his seat. The young man was filled with nothing but contempt for Heihachi Mishima. After what he had seen in Tokyo, he would never again pledge his loyalty to the Mishima Zaibatsu. And if Heihachi and his goons came over to their cathedral demanding their loyalty, the exorcists would be ready to retaliate.

"Insolente Mishima. While the world still suffers he has the nerve to arrange a tournament such as this. Why am I not surprised?" the slick-haired man noted to himself as he watched the announcement on the tv. However, a smug smile crept across Claudio. "But then again, this tournament could perhaps be beneficial to us" he remarked.

One of the exorcists was not sure about what his leader was saying. "What do you mean by that, giovane maestro?" the exorcist standing beside him asked Claudio. "How do you think this tournament will benefit the order?" he went on asking.

Claudio looked at the exorcist, still feeling smug while being asked about this. "Simple, mio fratello. If I could enter the tournament and get more information on the other contestants, I may be able to locate not only locate Kazuya Mishima…but Jin Kazama as well" he revealed before looking at a picture of a young Chinese girl that was lying on the table before him. It was actually a picture of Ling Xiaoyu, one of Jin's close friends. Claudio held up the picture to look at it. "This ragazza will most likely enter the tournament to search for Jin. Perhaps she can be of some use to us with regards to our hunt for these diavoli" he went on explaining to his subordinates.

While he kept looking at the picture of Xiaoyu, two other exorcists had entered the room with some good news for their leader to hear. Claudio turned his attention to them.

"Giovane maestro, we have great news" the first one spoke up before putting something on the table for Claudio to see. It was several pictures of some people. "Each of these people have been listed as persons of interest due to their dealership or relation with Jin Kazama in the past. There is Nina Williams, Lars Alexandersson, Asuka Kazama, Eddy Gordo and Hwoarang" he went on telling the names of these people.

"Like this Ling Xiaoyu, they could perhaps prove to know something about Jin Kazama whereabouts. However, we can't confirm where specifically their locations are" the other exorcist spoke up.

Claudio responded by raising his hand to calm his subordinate. "Non importa. Given how each of these people are extraordinary fighters, I expect them all to sign up for the upcoming tournament. That is where we will find them" he revealed to them while standing up and pacing around the room. "I will participate in this little scheme of these greedy Mishimas. However, the tournament will only be a means to an end. It will give me a perfect chance to pursue our true goals. Is that clear, fratelli?" he explained while asking his subordinates.

"Sì, giovane maestro" the exorcists said in unison.

"Bene" Claudio smiled with satisfaction, feeling proud that his subordinates were dependable, especially in a case like this. "I also believe that I will stumble upon some friends I made during my previous trip to Japan. But I wonder whether they have their own motives for entering the tournament, other than riches of course" the exorcist pondered on whether some of his friends like Shaheen or Zafina would participate.

* * *

 _Near the ruins of Azazel's tomb, somewhere in Egypt_

Ever since the end of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, the tomb that formerly hosted Azazel was nothing but ruins. Despite this, many greedy warlords would seek to claim them as their own, as well as seeking to enlist the spiritual warriors into their service. But the spiritual warriors led by Zafina, refused. As such, the young woman would often find herself hunting down the greedy warlords and make them stop coming after her people.

Since the incident at Tokyo, Zafina had decided to return to her people in Egypt, wondering whether something had transpired in her absence. Fortunetley, nothing happened, much to Zafina's relief. As such, she carried on her new responsibilities in protecting her people's legacy. But it didn't take long before Zafina felt her skills were needed once again.

Zafina had received summons from her guru. It was very urgent and the young woman knew better than to keep him waiting. As she entered the tent, she was surprised to see who was visiting the guru. It was the Saudi Arabian man named Shaheen.

"Master…...you called…" Zafina spoke up as she was slightly surprised in seeing Shaheen in the guru's tent.

Shaheen exchanged greetings with her. "Ahlan ya Zafina. It has been a while since we last met. I believe you still remember why I am" he greeted her gently.

"Of course. How else could I forget you and that shemagh of yours?" she replied. She soon took her seat beside them and looked at the guru. "Master. I take it you have summoned me for a reason" she told him.

The elderly man nodded his head as a yes. "Indeed, I have, Zafina. Young Shaheen here was more than kind enough to bring me this dire news. There has been an announcement from the Mishima Zaibatsu" he revealed, causing Zafina's eyed to widen in realization. "Yes, child. The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 has been announced. Heihachi Mishima has dared every fighter in the world to gather in the Far East. And to think he has the nerves to arrange them at a time when the entire world is in disarray" he went on telling the news.

Zafina's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "This looks troubling. Surely that old madman must have motives for arranging this tournament. One can never trust every word that comes out of his mouth" she spoke her opinion.

"Yes. It seems to me that Mishima wants to legitimize the Zaibatsu's continued war effort by holding this tournament. This is bound to attract greedy and power-hungry fools desperate for fame. But it will not bring the world any closer in healing the world" Shaheen told what he felt was happening. "I can no longer sit on the sidelines and pretend that everything will be fine. I intend on entering the tournament and find a way to deal with both Heihachi and Kazuya. I suspect the tournament is also being held to lure out the G Corporation. That is why I am entering" he then revealed.

Zafina was surprised to hear this, yet a part of her understood why he was willing to enter the tournament. Shaheen still had some grudges that he needed to deal with Kazuya. But could he be sure that someone like Kazuya would even participate in the tournament? She was not sure herself.

"I came here to ask if you were interested in accompanying me. However, I won't goad you. That is something you will have to decide on your own. And since. However, if you do not wish to come with me, I fully respect your decision. So don't feel bad for anything" Shaheen informed her.

Surprisingly, Zafina smiled smugly in hearing this. "Are you saying this because you think I am afraid of a challenge?" the young woman asked him, causing Shaheen to stare at her surprised. "I thought so. Well, Shaheen. You have grievingly mistaken. After our recent "trip" to Japan, how could I ever refuse such an offer?" she then questioned him.

Hearing this forced Shaheen to chuckle a little. "Spoken like a true optimist. You are indeed a remarkable woman, Zafina" he said before turning to face the guru. "I see now why you place a high value in her. Zafina is extraordinary talented" he remarked.

"Believe me, young one. Once you get to know Zafina as long as I do, you will find a different side of her. I believe you have gradually started to realize that yourself" the guru told him before facing Zafina with a kind-hearted smile. "Zafina. If you wish to enter the tournament, then you should. Remember, we can take care of ourselves. Since birth, we have all been trained to defend what we value most. And since Azazel and his evil no longer exists, the only thing our people value now…is our lives. Even now, I fear that as long as this war continues, it will eventually reach our people. If not stopped, so many human lives will be wasted for nothing but a foolish race to the top" the guru then told the young woman what was important.

Hearing this made Zafina understand how right her guru was. Despite his old age, his wisdom knew no bounds. She weakly nodded her head at him.

"Yes. And thank you for sharing me your wisdom, master. I swear, I will return him alive" she told him and faced Shaheen. "When do we leave?" she questioned him.

"I have two camels ready outside. We will then ride to the nearest town where we can use a private plane owned by my firm. All contestants living in Eurasia must sign up in Shanghai, China. While I am not sure why they would do that, I believe there is much more to it than meets the eye" Shaheen answered what he knew.

Zafina rose up from her seat and Shaheen did the same thing. "I see. Then we have no time to waste. We must act before this war will keep scorching the Earth" the young woman said before turning to face her guru one last time. "Farewell, master. I will not let you down" she told him.

The guru smiled through his beard. "Oh, I know that already, Zafina. There is no need for you to prove anything" he told her before letting out a chuckle at the end of the sentence. "Until we meet again, young ones. Farewell. And travel safe on this journey of yours" he told them.

Shaheen bowed his head to him with formality. "I humbly accept your wisdom, guru. May Allah protect you. Ma'a salama" the Saudi Arabian man told the guru with respect in his voice. He had to admit he was astounded to know how wise this old man was.

And so, the two Arabic fighters sat on their camels and rode out to the desert, thinking about whatever destiny lied ahead of them.

* * *

 _Inside Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, USA_

In this American military base, thousands of soldiers were seen marching and training. The reason for that was obvious. With the world in conflict, the US Army had sworn itself to protect the United States if either the Zaibatsu or the G Corp dared use it as their battlefield. These proud American soldiers would do anything to protect their homeland. But in the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, a man was seen walking inside one of it's corridors.

This man was quite muscular, having short light brown hair. He wore a black suit, which was open, thus revealing his white shirt. In addition to that, he wore light brown gloves and sunglasses. Although he was not wearing a uniform, this man was without question a man from the US Army. He knocked on the door in which he a general was waiting for him. The old man was pleased to see the youngster arrive.

"Ah, you finally came, Mr. Montana. Or should I call you Rodeo? I don't know which to choose. Either way, you deserve to be treated with respect for your accomplishments in military service" the general told the young man.

He took his seat before putting away his sunglasses, thus revealing his blue eyes. "The name's Bo Montana. Rodeo is only a nickname I earned during my years as a star athlete in college. You see, I was a Quarterback football player" the man clarified himself while telling the general about his name.

The general couldn't help but to chuckle in amusement in hearing this. "Of course, how could I possibly forget the infamous Rodeo. I swear, you sure packed a punch on the competitions across the States. It's a shame you didn't join the military through the MCRD SD. These lousy excuses for recruits could learn much from you" he went on explaining how much he admired Rodeo.

The muscular man simply shrugged his shoulders. "It's no big deal, really. And besides, it doesn't matter which military base it is. Every soldier breathing is valuable no matter what rank they're in" Rodeo pointed it out. However, he felt the need to change the subject. "I hate to change the subject, sir. But is there a particular reason for me being transferred to San Diego? My superiors at MCRD PI never game me much info" he politely asked the general.

"Yes. And they did it for a good reason, Mr. Montana. Now I will reveal it to you" the old man told Rodeo while putting a case of files on the table. A picture of Heihachi Mishima could be seen on that paper. "Mr. Montana. You have been selected for a very secret mission. It is a hard one, but also one that the US government is willing to take in order to save the world. You are to capture this man: Heihachi Mishima" he revealed to the young soldier.

Rodeo had to admit he was surprised to hear this. "Heihachi Mishima…you mean the old man leading the Zaibatsu?" he asked the general. "Okay, but that's easier said than done. I mean, how many soldiers have we lost to our efforts in capturing him? I remember they're quite many" he pointed out to the old man.

"I know that. But this is very different. We don't aim for a direct assault on the Zaibatsu. Rather, it's about infiltration" the general revealed. "You may not have heard of it, but the Zaibatsu is now arranging their annual tournament that brings fighters across the globe to compete between each other. This leaves us a perfect opportunity to infiltrate it without getting caught. And that's where you come into the picture, Mr. Montana. You will sign up for the tournament and fight your way up till you get close to Mishima. Then, you know what to do" he explained the mission in a detailed manner.

Rodeo sat and listened to what the old man was telling him. "I see. So, want me to join some messed up competition in order to capture that miserable septuagenarian? If it's in the interest of our country, then I can't say no. But what's in it for me, honestly?" he then asked his superior.

Surprisingly, a grim expression was formed on the general face, making Rodeo wonder why he did. "Our sources tell us about some troubling developments, Mr. Montana. They tell us about a group of hooded people who plots in the darkness of the world. Recently, we were informed of who their leader was. It was a man wearing a mask, his appearance clouded in dark energy. I believe you've met this individual before. The one calling himself…..Revenant" the general told him.

The moment Rodeo heard that name, his eyes widened in shock and realization. He recognized that name before. His mind started drifting back to the past when this individual had done something to atrocious to Rodeo that it still haunted him to this day.

"Revenant…that son of a bitch!" Rodeo cursed underneath his breath. "I never forget him….especially after what he did" he then told his superior, who smiled lightly in return.

"I'm glad you do. You see, there are rumors about Revenant leading a group of cultists. They worship some dark entity or whatever madness that exists in this world. They call themselves the Acolytes of Pluton" the general revealed to him, before moving on to give the young soldier more information about the mission. "We have reason to believe that since the announcement of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7, Revenant and his followers will make their move. We can't allow these cultists to use this ongoing war to their advantage. Who knows what kind of madness they will be stirring to those affected by it" he went on explaining why it was important.

Rodeo sat and listened closely. Ever since Revenant was being mentioned, he had started to take this mission more seriously than before. "Listen, I'll take part in this tournament. How do I get there?" he asked the general.

The old man was pleased to see how determined the young soldier was in doing this mission. "The Zaibatsu have a shop docked at the Port of Los Angeles waiting for contestants living in the Americas. They will depart in a day, so you best get over there quickly. Even though this is an infiltration mission, we will keep in touch with you. However, we can't be risked getting caught by the Zaibatsu. They have hackers that can infiltrate databases across the world. Therefore, our communication will be limited" he informed Rodeo.

"I understand. But don't worry, I'll handle things on my own. I'm not some dimwitted corporal who gets himself into trouble. I've been on the battlefield long enough to understand it's reality and harshness" Rodeo assured the general, who was more than pleased to hear his willingness to enter the tournament.

"Very well. Then you head to Los Angeles. Let us know when you have boarded their ship. And I assure you, Mr. Montana: the American people, if not the entire world, are counting on you" the general told him.

Without hesitating, Rodeo saluted before the old man. This only signalized how determined he was to complete this mission. "YESSIR!" he saluted, proving how dependable he could be as a soldier.

* * *

 _In the streets of Kyoto, Japan_

Ling Xiaoyu had been walking past a tv-shop when Heihachi announced the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. Ever since then, the Chinese girl had pondered about what to do. Should she participate? But what could she possibly gain from doing it? Walking in the busy streets of Kyoto along with Panda, Xiaoyu's head was filled with many thoughts.

"I know that I shouldn't keep thinking about him, Panda. But I simply refuse to believe that Jin is dead" Xiaoyu told her bodyguard as she faced the ground while walking. "I'm certain Miharu would scold me for it. She encouraged me to let go of Jin. But I just can't!" the girl added to her frustrations.

Panda looked worryingly at her friend. Along with Miharu, she was aware of Xiaoyu possessing strong feelings for Jin. She had been having those since the day she met Jin on the Mishima Polytechnic School. However, her silly persona and focus on amusement parks had prevented Xiaoyu from ever confessing her feelings to him. There was also the time Jin suddenly disappeared from the school during the third year. Xiaoyu had at first been oblivious to the troubled family Jin came from. But now, after knowing more about it's history, she realized how difficult his life had been.

"I'm sorry, Panda. But I can't quit just yet!" Xiaoyu told her bodyguard in a surprisingly determined manner. Panda was stunned to see her behaving this way. She even fixed a beaming smile towards the panda bear. "I'm signing up for the tournament! Even though I know how difficult this search will be…I can't give up hope just yet. After all…Jin couldn't even save himself, despite how strong he was. That's why we need to save him instead, Panda" she continued explaining her reasons.

After a couple of seconds, Panda nodded her head at Xiaoyu in agreement. As a matter of fact, she even faced her friend with some bravery in her eyes. Realizing how determined she was in finding Jin, Panda could not refuse her assistance. She raised a paw, thus allowing Xiaoyu to give her a high-five, or a high-paw in Panda's case.

"Alright! I better get myself prepared before heading over to Tokyo. Who knows what kind of opponents I'll be facing up against this time" the Chinese girl exclaimed with beaming confidence within her.

Unbeknownst to Xiaoyu and Panda, somebody was observing them from above. It was the two agents Master Raven and Raven. Having arrived in Japan alongside Lee Chaolan, the two agents had decided to lay low now that they were in Japan. However, they had decided to do some reconnaissance, especially when it came to naming potential persons of interest. After all, they were working with Detective Lei Wulong in uncovering the secrets of the Mishima clan.

"That girl with the pigtails. To my understanding, she was classmates with Jin Kazama, am I right?" Master Raven questioned Raven.

"Yes. Her name is Ling Xiaoyu, originally from China. According to Detective Lei, she's actually a distant relative of the legendary martial artist Wang Jinrei. That probably explains her fighting skills" Raven informed his superior. He then fixed his gaze upon the pair walking the street. "Shall we pursue those two?" he asked her.

"Negative. HQ has strictly told us not leave alone those who are not persons of interests. And based upon what we've heard, she has no clue about Jin's whereabouts" Master Raven told him.

"Speaking of Jin's whereabouts. How long is Lee planning on keeping this a secret from us?" Raven asked the woman.

Master Raven's eyes narrowed at her subordinate. "All in due time, Raven. Once Lee had gotten full control of the Violet Systems HQ in Tokyo, he would lead us to him. But then again, it would be best if we didn't so much as speak that name here in open. Both the Zaibatsu and the G Corp has eyes everywhere in Japan. Doing that would only compromise our plans to end this war" she answered Raven.

The man with sunglasses weakly nodded his head at her in return. "You're correct. Then we best head back to the Violet Systems HQ. Even by just standing here, I can tell that something feels off" Raven suggested an Master Raven agreed with this sentiment.

And thus, the two agents vanished from the spot with the help of their ninjutsu. Right now, their skills would definitely come in handy with regards to avoiding suspicious eyes of the two warring conglomerates.

* * *

 _Inside a hospital, Hermosillo, Mexico_

The famed wrestler named King was now visiting his friend, the Australian Vale Tudo fighter: Craig Marduk in a hospital in the Mexican city of Hermosillo. Near the end of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6, Marduk and Armor King had been engaged in a bloody fight near the US-Mexican border, or more specifically close to Arizona in the US. It was the same state where the bar brawl that had killed Armor King's older brother had taken place. And of course, Marduk was the one responsible for his death. While King used to hate Marduk and desired his death once, he realized that revenge was not the option. In time, he and Marduk became good friends and partners in the ring. However, that did not sit well with Armor King.

Because of the incident at Tokyo, King was never able to collect his reward from Jin. Feeling anguished, he returned home to Mexico, where he owned the orphanage started by his predecessor and mentor: the previous King. Marduk had since his fight with Armor King been placed in a hospital in Hermosillo. His injuries were so serious that he would need some operations, something which was not cheap. The wrestler felt himself very distressed.

"You're going to what?" Marduk asked King on his hospital bed. Despite being in a critical condition, the tall man still had enough strength to speak. "Are you saying you're entering the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7? I understand you wanna pay for my operations and all, but you're going too far, buddy" Marduk went on explaining things to his best friend.

"I know that. But I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place here, Marduk" King told him before letting out a deep sigh. "Not only is it your operations that is at stake here. My orphanage is as well, due to the ongoing war effort. As long as those corporate bastardos continue their warring, it will pay the price. That is why I need to go" King continued explaining his reason for entering the tournament.

Marduk couldn't help but to understand how King felt. In fact, the usually brash Vale Tudo fighter felt guilt hanging over him. "Hey King….I'm sorry for causing you all this stress" he apologized, thus catching King's attention. The baldheaded man nodded his head at him. "Yeah, I'm partially to blame for it. I shouldn't have engaged in combat with Armor King when he confronted me. It would've been better if I just ran away from him" he admitted to his friend.

"What are you talking about? You were attacked? There was no reason for him to…" King was silenced by Marduk shaking his head.

"He had a reason, one that's justified. I killed his older brother. Listen buddy…I admit I've not been a perfect friend for you. I mean, you have shown me kindness and forgiveness, while I've yet fully make it up for my mistakes. I shouldn't have killed your mentor. I sincerely regret it. And I'm sorry" Marduk apologized to King.

The masked man was only stunned as he heard those words. He couldn't believe it, but this was probably the first time Marduk ever apologized to King over Armor King's death. And by hearing the tone of his voice, he was actually being sincere.

"Marduk…right now…you made me like you even more. You have no idea how much I appreciate hearing you tell me this" King admitted to his friend. "However, if only the "so-called" Armor King possessed the same kind of decency as you did" he then lamented.

Marduk looked at his best friend. "But seriously, why was Armor King working with the G Corp to get back you?" he asked King.

"I asked him the same thing, yet never got a clear answer" King replied while folding his arms. "Either way, he has no dignity left in him. Unlike his predecessor, this Armor King is all but the man of honor his brother was. No, he's nothing but a common bandit, which explains why he was willing to cooperate with the G Corp" he went on expressing his dissatisfaction of the masked wrestler.

Even though he couldn't see his face, Marduk could tell that King was feeling bitter about Armor King. Truth be told, the Australian man did so too. However, he wondered whether King would be willing to spare Armor King for what he had just done. He knew that King was not some killer compared to Armor King.

"Hey King" Marduk called out his friend. To King's surprise, the Vale Tudo fighter gave him a thumb up gesture. "I say you go get them. Enter the tournament, not just for the sake of me…...but for the orphans…...and yourself" he encouraged him.

King felt very relieved to hear this encouragement. He stood up from his seat and nodded at Marduk in return. "Yeah, I will. The ship transporting the fighters from the Americas are will leave Los Angeles in a day. I best travel early so that I reach the city in time" the masked man told Marduk, but he was not finished speaking to his friend. "There's no doubt that I'll come across some worthy adversaries…but that won't stop me from entering the tournament. I'll face the challenges" King assured his best friend.

Marduk smiled in hearing his friend's spirit being lifted back to his warrior self. "Great! Then you know what to do!" the tall man spoke highly.

* * *

 _Inside the Millennium Tower, Tokyo, Japan_

The HQ of the G Corporation was rather busy lately with what had just transpired in the world. So far, they had failed to locate Jin's body. But the sudden announcement of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 left a new dilemma for the G Corp and it's leader ship.

Sitting inside an office was Kazuya Mishima, currently the CEO of G Corporation. After failing to capture Jin during the incident at the Mishima Research and Development facility in Tokyo, Kazuya and his associates had returned to the Millennium Tower in order to plan their next move against the Zaibatsu. Kazuya was now observing a television showing Heihachi's announcements. So far, he remained unfazed.

"Hmmm…about time you announced the tournament" the Japanese man said lowly, his eyes completely fixated upon the elderly man in the screen. "However, you can't fool me with that act. I know exactly why you're arranging this tournament. All of us do" he added to his statement.

Kazuya was not alone in his office. Also present was his two important associates: Anna Williams and Bruce Irvin. But there was also another player in the room, one that had joined the G Corp to work as a "poster girl" for the conglomerate.

This was a young blonde-haired girl who almost looked like she was cosplaying a cat. This was evident with her pink headphones with black cat ears attached. Her outfit consisted of a furry, pastel pink bolero jacket that covered her hands with pink buttons in a paw design underneath. She was wearing a pink and black dress with a short, ruffled skirt, with laces in the back and a pink bow. There were what appeared to be pink mini-speakers at her sides, as well as a black cat tail accessory. Down her legs, she wore black thigh-high tights with a keyhole design in the front with a tiny heart at the top. Additionally, she wore pink knee pads with pink and white training shoes with black straps. Needless to say, this girl was an otaku.

"There's no need to worry about that, boss" the girl spoke up while giggling. "Those Zaibatsu-meanies don't have the image of being the heroes as we do. Especially since you have me, Lucky Chloe as a poster girl" she added while saying her name before demonstrating her signature pose with her cat paws.

Her superiors only stared at her unfazed in seeing this, particularly Bruce and Anna. "Oh dear, how I despise clueless girls sometimes" Anna muttered while seeing this.

But Lucky Chloe overheard Anna say that. Therefore, she directed her attention towards her. "Hey! Who're you calling clueless!?" she asked her. "You better show me some respect for all the work I do for you!" the teenage girl added.

"Listen, girly. This ain't all about an advertisement campaign. It's a battle on the fields as well" Bruce spoke up while folding his arms. "Besides, if you wanna be respected then you have to earn it! So quit pouting and start getting real" he schooled Chloe.

"Don't tell me what to do, old man! I could take both you and that hag down in a fight!" Chloe then challenged both him and Anna.

However, the two associates only laughed out loud at Chloe's words. They couldn't believe what the young girl had just said.

"You taking on us? Don't be so dreamy here, missy" Anna reprimanded her while continuing laughing.

"If we did fight you would've given up the moment I kneed your cosplaying ass!" Bruce spoke up, joining in on the insult.

Lucky Chloe only responded by huffing at the two of them, deciding not to take her superiors' words seriously. As a matter of fact, she pretended she was listening to music.

"Enough" Kazuya put a stop to all this laughing and all eyes were on the man with the red eye. "All of you are probably wondering whether I will send someone to enter the tournament. The answer to that is yes" he told them, but he was not finished. He faced Bruce. "However, neither you nor Anna will be entering the tournament" he revealed to his two closest associates.

Both Anna and Bruce stared at him confused. "Hold on. Are saying that we stay with you while you're scheming?" she asked her boss.

Kazuya nodded his head in return. "Correct. Considering how things have gotten harder lately, I'll need the two of you at my side" he revealed to them before forming a smirk along his lips. "But then again, I am thinking about sending someone else in your stead. Or perhaps more specifically three people" Kazuya said.

"And why would they be? Who can possibly fill in our gaps" Bruce asked, yet paused once he could notice Kazuya glancing at Chloe. The kickboxer couldn't believe his eyes. "Wait a minute…you're not suggesting in….." Bruce was interrupted when Kazuya spoke up.

"I am" Kazuya revealed smugly, his eyes never leaving the sight of the confused teenager. "Lucky Chloe. You'll be one of the entrees representing the G Corporation" he told her.

Chloe was dumbfounded. "Me? But why?" she asked.

Kazuya's smirk never faded. "Simple. Unlike Bruce and Anna, you're not a famous employee amongst the G Corp. Therefore, it would be logical to send someone who's relatively unknown to the Mishima Zaibatsu. You do want this conglomerate to succeed against it, do you?" Kazuya explained to the teenager as she listened.

Chloe did not know what to say, yet she awkwardly struck a pose while saluting before him in return. "Y-yeah. But how am I s-supposed to…." Chloe was very uncertain about what to say to him. But on another note, she understood how valuable it was for her to enter the competition. She agreed with Kazuya's sentiment. Brushing off her reluctance, Chloe smiled at her boss. "You know, maybe I should enter the tournament. I mean, nobody will recognize me as a potential threat to the Zaibatsu, compared to these two old-timers" she exclaimed while feeling confident in herself.

Anna and Bruce disapproved of her referring to them as such. "Listen, if you wanna carry on being a smartass, then I'll be more than happy to teach you some manners" Bruce sternly told the teenager, only for Chloe to stick out her tongue at him. "Tch…...brat" Bruce muttered to himself.

"Excellent. I admire your tenacity, Chloe. Your personality will completely disguise your entry to the tournament" Kazuya commended Chloe, yet he was not yet finished. "And now to choose the ones who will also represent the G Corp" he revealed before motioning his head towards the door across them.

Someone entered the office and it was a large JACK-model. This one was quite different from the other JACKs the G Corp was known to have created. The JACK stopped and surprisingly did a salute before Kazuya and the others.

"JACK 7 reporting for duty" the robot spoke, thus signalizing his loyalty to the G Corp.

"What the…..a JACK?" Anna asked while being confused.

"Not just any JACK" Bruce spoke up. "This one's different. It's weaponry, movements and intelligence surpass those of ordinary JACK-models. It's the one developed by Jane and her research team" he added while explaining short about JACK 7.

"Oh, now I understand" Anna realized what Bruce was talking about.

Lucky Chloe was feeling slightly insecure by seeing this towering robot standing beside her. While she had seen JACKs before, this one was a different case. It was taller than the average JACK-model.

"Good. Now you along with Chloe will enter the tournament" Kazuya told JACK 7, who saluted before his boss once again.

"Affirmative" he spoke.

"And that finally leaves us with the final member of your team. I will bring him hear now" Kazuya said before pushing a button on his desk. When he did that, something appeared out from the nearby wall. It was a capsule, although someone was inside it.

The one who was inside the capsule was none other than Gigas, the new biotechnological weapon. The capsule opened and Gigas took his steps out of it. Instead of running around like some maniac, Gigas was now calm, yet he did growl and grunt like a beast. He stood beside Chloe, who was completely pale over what she was seeing.

"W-what is that thing!?" she asked while feeling slightly scared.

Bruce was surprised to see Gigas. "So you're planning on sending Gigas to the tournament?" he questioned Kazuya before whistling in amazement. "Smart choice. He will definitely not disappoint" he added.

"Hold on just a damn minute! Can someone please tell me who that thing is!?" Chloe snapped out angrily at her superiors. However, she noticed both Anna and Bruce giving her the silent treatment. "Come on, fill in for me!" she told them.

Anna smirked. "Hah! That's what you get for being snotty towards your elders. So quit pouting and deal with it!" the brunette told the teenage girl, which made Bruce chuckle in amusement.

Chloe glared daggers at Anna. "You take that back!" she snapped.

"Well, then" Kazuya's voice interrupted Chloe's focus on Anna. Therefore, she was forced to switch over to him. "Allow me to introduce you to Gigas, a creation from our research team on developing biotechnological weapons. Despite his primitive and animalistic behavior, Gigas still understands human speech, let alone the orders I give him. Therefore, he will be a perfect addition to your team, Chloe" the CEO of the G Corp informed her.

Chloe responded by giggling nervously in return. "Oh, I see. Truth is, I never really knew much about Gigas and the research team you speak of. Heck, I didn't know about them at all" she responded.

Kazuya smiled at the teenage girl. "Well, now you know about them. You along with JACK 7 and Gigas will participate in the tournament. Not only will you be fighting against opponents, you will also collect valuable information regarding the Zaibatsu. We will be monitoring every move you make while in the tournament. And please, don't shy away. It may be a chance to demonstrate your value to the G Corp. The three of you better not disappoint me. Are we clear?" he explained while keeping his voice quite nonchalant.

Chloe quickly saluted before him in return and JACK 7 did that as well. "YESSIR!" they both said in unison. Gigas was not yet capable of understanding salutes. However, given how calm he was behaving, it was a sign of his loyalty towards Kazuya. But Kazuya didn't seem to mind. He was only pleased to know that these three would obey his commands.

 _To be continued…_


	10. Few and Far Between

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Part 10: Few and Far Between**

 _Inside Incheon International Airport, Seoul, South Korea_

Incheon International Airport was the busiest airport on the Korean Peninsula, if not the entire world. Every day, people would wander through the long corridors, striving to reach their flights and destinations. As such, the rooms were always overcrowded, with long lines taking long time in moving. Even the bathrooms were crowded with people. The Taekwondo master named Baek Doo San was washing his hands yet couldn't help but to feel the need to put some water in his face as well. The middle-aged man sighed deeply. He and his student Hwoarang had arrived home in South Korea after a long flight from the Middle East. However, on the way home, the Koreans had learned about the announcement of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. Baek had hoped that Hwoarang would stay away from the tournament, given that he had barely survived a near-death experience in Saudi Arabia. This was due to Hwoarang trying to help Jin escape from soldiers of the G Corporation. It had caused him his right eye. However, this was something the young man had to realize himself, as Baek couldn't force himself upon him.

"I don't want to enforce those ideals. But I've learned that my softness is not helping him mature one bit" Baek noted to himself while recalling all those times Hwoarang had gotten himself in trouble. He sometimes blamed himself for what mess his student had put himself in. "The kid's right. I'm not his father. He needs to make his own choices. But is Hwoarang making the right choices?" the middle-aged man pondered on that question.

Using a napkin to clean his face, Baek exited the bathroom, passing by the incredibly long line that started all the way outside the bathroom. Baek was glad this was over. Now, he could return home with his student and rest.

Baek walked back to the bench were Hwoarang was waiting for him. But to the Taekwondo master's surprise, he was nowhere to be seen. He wondered whether he had run off to grab something to bite or anything, but that wasn't the case here. As a matter of fact, Baek found what appeared to be a note lying on the bench. Slowly approaching it, the middle-aged man could see how familiar that handwriting on the paper was. In fact, he was stunned when he saw it.

"No way…he couldn't have…." Baek uttered as he grabbed to note and began reading what was written on it. The content was written in Korean. It was quite a long text, yet Baek had no problem reading it.

 _Dear Master_

 _I've fought about what you told me back in Saudi Arabia about me and Jin. While I fully appreciate your advice and concern, I'm afraid I must disagree with you here. No, Jin Kazama will not become the end of me. That's not how I picture the last days of my life. Rather, it's the challenge that Jin possesses that makes me stronger. Ever since the day we fought, I've always desired to surpass him in combat. The thought itself only invigorates me as a fighter. Therefore, I refuse to believe that he's dead. I'm entering the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7, in order to find any potential clues about where Jin could possibly be. You can throw the tantrums and curse my name as much as you want, but it won't change my mind. I'm going to Japan, although I'll have to sign up for the tournament at Shanghai in China given that I'm not in Japan. I know you'll be disappointed in me and for that, I'm sorry. But you should already remember that you can't change a human being the way you want. Changing only comes from within, not outside. However, I just wanted you to know that despite the foolish choices I've made in the past, I still value your wisdom, master. Never forget that. As a matter of fact, you're one of the few people I know that has shown me the light._

 _Best regards from your loyal and trustworthy student: Hwoarang._

 _P.S.: When are you planning on shaving your facial hair? I don't know, it kind of makes you look like a retiree or a cliché movie character. If you had shaved, then perhaps you would probably look like during your prime years._

Once finished reading the note, Baek dropped the paper on the floor. Right now, the Korean man was feeling quite distressed over realizing his student had run off again. As a matter of fact, he sat on the bench while rubbing his face over and over again. It was simply no use. Hwoarang would never listen to reason.

"Damnit boy…you're still the same as you've always been…how long will it take for you to realize your errors?" Baek asked while thinking about his student. Nevertheless, the Taekwondo master soon realized that Hwoarang was right about one thing: he couldn't change him and his ways. "On second thought, I'm not surprised about this. I mean, you've done many things that are reckless, even running away from the Korean military. Even so, it pains me to see how fixated you have become on Jin Kazama" Baek added to his statement.

What would Baek do now? Would he pursue Hwoarang through the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7? The middle-aged man felt that he was not needed for that. Instead, he decided that once the tournament was in session, he would travel to Tokyo, hoping to keep in touch with Hwoarang and see how his so-called search was coming along. It was also the chance to "supervise" his student, so that he wouldn't make poor choices.

"When this is over, I'll make sure that you receive an earful. Or worse, I'll make you lose your other eye!" Baek muttered while thinking about the appropriate punishment for his student. However, he did remember something else Hwoarang had written in the text. It was about Baek being one of the few people to have shown him the light. For some reason, the middle-aged man became slightly emotional. "That part…were you telling the truth? Have I really showed you that path? But by how?" Baek had so many questions, yet it would take long before he could find the answers.

Knowing better than to stand around doing nothing, Baek proceeded towards the airport's exit, feeling no need to be chasing after his student.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the northern regions of China_

In an isolated location somewhere in China, a young man was training amongst the ruins of a dojo. This man was Feng Wei, the Chinese Kenpo master. Ever since Jin's disappearance from the world and his group's failure to capture him, Feng had returned to China, continuing to battle dojo masters across the Orient. However, he was currently at the training grounds of a place he knew very well. It was the dojo where Feng had been raised since he was a child, as well as learning the art of Chinese Kenpo. As a young student, Feng was a prodigy. By 20, he was the top student of his dojo.

Yet despite all the praises and fame he received at the dojo, it wasn't enough. Feng wanted more. As such, he began fighting opponents outside the dojo without his master's consent. This troubled Feng's master deeply, as he had begun to take notice of his student's gradual lust for power. There came a time when Feng was scolded by his master once again for his actions. Enraged, Feng snapped and challenged the old man to a fight. His master accepted it. But despite his prowess in combat, the old man fell before young Feng's strength.

Since killing his master, Feng had never returned to his childhood home as the years passed. He never expected his fellow Kenpo students to forgive him for his atrocious actions. They were dead to him, as he was dead to them. What really mattered to Feng was to become the strongest fighter and achieve the title of Dragon God. Since then, the Chinese man had sought to uncover the secrets of the God Fist scrolls.

Right now, Feng was meditating in the nearby woods. It was peaceful, something the Chinese man appreciated. He had been training for the last couple of hours and felt the need to find his inner peace within him. But as he was meditating, Feng was also reminded about what he had seen in a nearby village. It was the gigantic poster's announcing the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. All fighters living in Eurasia was to gather at the harbor in Shanghai. But what was in it for Feng?

"I have obtained the God Fist scrolls. However, I see that there are some missing" Feng noted to himself, realizing that he had not collected all the scrolls he was seeking. They were out in the East somewhere. "But who could possibly have them? Was I wrong to assume that the Mishima Zaibatsu had only one?" he wondered while thinking back to his reason for entering the last tournament.

As he pondered over this subject, something hit in the Chinese man's head. He remembered how the G Corporation had offered him and his teammates something in return for capturing Jin. Now, he remembered Anna saying something about a scroll. Could this be true? Did the G Corporation possess a God Fist scroll?

"Those scoundrels" Feng spoke while gritting his teeth. "They did in fact possess something which they never bothered telling me about. There is no question in my mind that they have a God Fist scroll in their possession" he continued pondering over that fact.

A part of Feng started having regrets in not using his time with Kazuya to search for the missing God Fist scroll. On the other hand, there was no need for him to be distressed. He would find it in time. And he knew just the perfect way to get it.

"I will travel to Shanghai and enter the tournament. Perhaps then can I learn about the whereabouts of the scroll. But I must tread carefully. With the world already under chaos, it will be difficult for me to trust anyone" Feng concluded.

He would enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 in order to find the whereabouts of the missing God Fist scroll. Whether he would succeed or not, was yet to be answered.

* * *

 _Inside the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia_

The winter in Russia was long and harsh, yet its people managed to withstand it. It was also in Russia one of its most notorious fighters lived: Sergei Dragunov. As a member of Spetsnaz and a master in the art of Sambo, Dragunov had been a leading figure in carrying out Russia's military operations throughout the world. His efforts, as well as his pale appearance had earned him the nickname "White Angel of Death". His talents had been greatly appreciated in wake of this global war. While never successful in landing blows against their enemies, the Russian military had succeeded in defending its homeland thanks to men such as Dragunov. However, the threat was far from over, something the Russian government was painfully aware of.

Inside an office in the Kremlin, Sergei Dragunov was now having a top-secret meeting with his superiors in Spetsnaz. After attending the birthday party at the Rochefort Mansion in Monaco, Dragunov was instructed to return home to Russia. But it didn't take long before his skills were required in the service of Russia.

The Russian general faced the pale-skinned man with serious eyes. "Zdrastvooytye, Sergei Dragunov. I am pleased you could make it to the Kremlin. In times such as these, Mother Russia will need any patriots she has to defend us against these threats at our doorstep. That is why men such as you exist" the old man told Dragunov, who had so far not said a word. Even so, the general continued speaking to him. "You did good at the party in Monaco, but this mission will be different and I will tell you why. I believe you have seen some of these posters being hung around the motherland. From Moscow and Saint Petersburg to Volgograd and Vladivostok, you find them everywhere. Therefore, you should know what this announcement is about. It is the one we recently heard from Heihachi Mishima" the general added before putting a poster on the table.

This was the poster announcing the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7, only that it was written in Russian. And of course, it was using the Cyrillic script. Dragunov took his time to read what was written on the poster before nodding firmly at his superior.

"Svoloch thinks he is smart. But he is badly mistaking. We all know how Mishima wishes to use this tournament as a means to legitimize his war effort. He honestly thinks he can fool us with that act? Bah, eblan!" the general expressed his distaste of Heihachi while swearing in Russian. But he soon directed his attention on Dragunov, who remained as principled and focused as ever. "You know what this means, don't you? That's right. You have been selected by the government to carry out a glorious mission for Russia. Surely, you can take it" he went on revealing what Dragunov was in the Kremlin for.

Dragunov looked back at the poster before looking up at the general. Although being involved in such tournaments was a nuisance to him, the pale-skinned man would do anything in the interest of Russia's wellbeing. It was his job, after all. Once again, he nodded to confirm his willingness to take on this mission.

"Excellent, Comrade Dragunov. We assure you that this mission will be beneficial to single man, woman and children throughout the motherland" the old man assured the Dragunov before proceeding to go into more details of this mission. "Now then, let me brief you in on your objectives. You are to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 and find a way to weaken the Zaibatsu from the inside. As long as you are a competitor of the tournament, nobody will suspect you of being a spy. You will sign up for the tournament in Shanghai, China. There's a ship that will take the contestants to Japan. We have yet to find out why the Zaibatsu would do something like this. But don't worry. While you're going undercover, we will stay in touch with you" the general explained Dragunov's mission.

Dragunov couldn't argue what his superior told him. Given his calm and reserved demeanor, he would always accept a mission and carry out his orders like it was a mandatory thing for him to do.

"Do you understand the gravity of the situation, Comrade Dragunov? Can we of Spetsnaz entrust this mission to the one and only White Angel of Death?" the general suddenly asked the quiet man, this time being more serious than usual.

To the old man's surprise, Dragunov saluted before him, not even hesitating to do so. This pleased the general greatly, as it only confirmed Dragunov's undying loyalty towards Russia and its interests.

"Fantastika! The higher ups were right in recommending you for this job. Well then, I see no reason to keep you here any longer. You best start heading towards Shanghai and begin your mission. And remember, keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious eyes. No doubt that the Zaibatsu will be suspicious if your activities are exposed in the open. Udachi, Tovarishch Dragunov" the old man informed Dragunov while wishing him good luck.

Knowing better than to be standing around doing nothing, Dragunov exited the office and headed towards the building's exit, where a vehicle was waiting for him. And thus, the quiet man began his mission to infiltrate the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. He had hoped to not encounter the agent he had clashed with in the past: Raven. No, that was the least person he wanted to stumble upon in the tournament.

* * *

 _In the gardens of the Rochefort Mansion, Monte Carlo, Monaco_

It was a sunny day in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort, daughter of the wealthy oil baron running Rochefort Enterprises, was enjoying a cup of tea in the gardens outside the mansion. Living in a place like Monaco, there was so many decorations and statues that could be found the gardens. Lili was not alone, as she was accompanied by her family's esteemed butler: Sebastian. In addition to being a butler, Sebastian also acted as Lili's caretaker. Unlike her father though, Sebastian tolerated the young lady's fondness for battle and fights. After all, he felt it was his duty to make Lilli happy.

After taking a sip from her cup, Lili sighed in annoyance. "Another boring day. First my father has this ridiculous birthday party and now this. How long must he keep holding me hostage in the mansion?" she pouted while expressing her opposition to being grounded.

"Madame Lili, your dear father only wants what is best for you. Please understand his actions are done in good faith as a loving parent" Sebastian insisted to Lili. "It would be best if you were left out of such complicated tournaments. After all, you are his only child" the butler added to his statement.

Lili's attention was on him as she heard him say that. "Only child, huh? I'm not so sure" the blondie told him, even forming a slight smirk on her pale, but wondrous face.

Sebastian became confused. "Excuse me insolence for saying this, but how can you say such, madame? It is to my understanding that you have always been your father's only child" he told her.

"Sebastian, please don't spew out such nonsense. You can't fool me that easily. Neither can my father" Lili "kindly" requested him to stop saying these things, leaving the butler astonished. After taking a sip from her cup, she looked at Sebastian with cunning eyes, which was a rare thing for someone at her age to. "I'm not blind to my family's secret history. There is more to the De Rochefort family than meets the eye. After all, we were many centuries ago…exorcists" she then spoke up.

Sebastian gasped, the old man not believing what he was hearing. "Did you say…exorcists?" he asked her, to which Lili responded by simply nodding her head as a yes. "Sacré Bleu! I cannot believe what I am hearing! Why would your dear father never inform me, his trusted confidante, about this detail?" the butler added a question to his statement.

"The answer to that is simple, Sebastian. My father is very sensitive about the family's past. He shares it with few people he can trust" the blonde-haired girl told him. "Now as for what I said earlier, the truth of the matter is…I actually have an older sister" Lili revealed to the butler.

"An older sister?" Sebastian asked, his mind still filled with so many thoughts. "But if so…where is she?" he asked her, although the butler trying to not sound so curious.

"That's the problem. All my father told me was that my sister, whose name is actually Elizabeth De Rochefort, vanished while she was hunting down a vampire. He said that the exorcists had managed to seal this vampire, yet my sister disappeared out of the blue" Lili recalled the conversation she had with her father. While at first being in deep thought, the teenage girl surprisingly became confident and she rose up from her seat. "And that leads me to this conclusion, Sebastian. I'm heading out of Monaco" she told him.

Sebastian only stared at her confused. "Out of Monaco? But where will you be going, madame?" the old man asked her.

Lili smirked in return. "You know what I'm talking about. To Japan. Or perhaps more specifically, the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7" she revealed to him smugly.

"Oh mon Dieu! Not that tournament again. Have you lost your mind, young lady?" Sebastian asked her, surprisingly being more serious than ever. "Your dear father has forbidden you from ever entering that tournament. It will not benefit you" he told her.

"Is that so? Well then, Sebastian. I can tell you that you should accompany me, at least until we're in Shanghai. It's the place where the contestants sign up for the tournament" Lili told Sebastian, yet the butler didn't seem to comprehend what she was telling him. "To put it in another way, what do you think happens now that you know about my family's past? I'm certain my father will be very upset. And you know he won't believe that I told you about it. Instead, he will suspect that you dug into information by…." the blondie stopped once Sebastian interrupted her.

"Alright. I am at your mercy. I will gladly accompany you, Madame Lili" Sebastian told her with a smile. "But at least answer me this: are you determined to fight once again? Can you withstand the pain?" he asked her, wanting to know if his mistress were willing to do this.

Giggling to herself, Lili brushed off her caretaker's concerns. "How many times must I answer you? Of course, I'm ready for it. Besides, it won't be the first time I enter the tournament. Perhaps I will also be able to meet up with some old friends" she told him, thinking about her rival: Asuka Kazama. But something else was in the young girl's mind. "Besides, I would really like to get back at the jerk who once brought hardships to my father: Jin Kazama. I don't care what the media says. He's still out there and in hiding" she told him.

Sebastian understood what his mistress wanted. He couldn't deny the resentment towards Jin. Therefore, it would only be logical for him to assist her on this journey to Japan.

"As you wish, Madame Lili. I shall accompany you to Shanghai. However, I must warn you about the consequences of your actions, especially with how your father will react" the old man told her.

Lili giggled once again. "Honestly, Sebastian. You're beginning to sound like my father, except that you're kinder, less strict and more understanding towards me" she remarked. But this time, Lili was not being sarcastic and her butler could tell that himself. "And don't worry. I will leave a note for him to read in my room. It will give him a terrific adieu" she added to what she would do to which Sebastian sighed in return.

* * *

 _Inside an orphanage, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil_

Eddy Gordo had experienced major changes since the incident above Tokyo skyline. Feeling embittered over Jin's broken promise of repayment, he decided to take matters into his own hands. As such, he returned to his master in the hospital he was being treated at, only to discover something so shocking. His master was dead. Despite the advanced medicine Eddy had gotten during his time in the Tekken Force, it was not enough to cure his master's illness. He was dead. A black heart formed inside him, given that he knew someone who would definitely be sad: Christie.

Using his connections, Eddy managed to bring his deceased master back to Brazil. He was prepared to meet Christie in a long time and reveal her the horrible truth about her grandfather's current condition. But when he got back home in Brazil, Eddy was stunned to see that Christie was not home. She had simply vanished without a trace. Where could she have run off to?

"I don't understand…...how could all these events have happened!?" Eddy asked himself.

Inside an orphanage Eddy had, with the help of his earnings, built in Rio de Janeiro, the Capoeira fighter was now in deep thought over Christie's whereabouts. He eventually realized that since he had been gone for a long time, Christie became worried and started to travel around the world in order to find him. Personally, Eddy blamed himself for what he had created.

"Christie…..." Eddy spoke up the young woman's name lowly while looking at a picture. It was a picture of him, Christie and his deceased master. A sad smile formed on his usually firm face. Those were the good times. "Why did you leave Brazil? I told you to stay behind". But then again…...it's all my fault" he said while lamenting to himself.

Over the last couple of days, Eddy had returned to train those orphans who lived at the orphanage in the art of Capoeira. So far, they were good learners. Eddy knew these children had potential. However, something else had been bothering him. It was the announcement of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. At first, the Brazilian man was uninterested in entering it. But now that he was aware of Christie not being home in Rio de Janeiro, Eddy had to reconsider. He was worried about whether Christie had gone to Japan to search for him. Once again, Eddy was feeling guilty of his actions.

"Droga! Why didn't I tell Christie about my whereabouts?" he asked himself while pondering over his regrets. "Was it due to me being overprotective of her? Was it because of me being a coward to share with her my objectives? I think both are the single answer I seek" Eddy went on thinking about the choices he had made in the past.

But there were other reasons for Eddy being worried about Christie. With both the Zaibatsu and the G Corp continuing their tug of war in Japan, Christie was likely to get caught in the crossfire. Eddy also dreaded over what would happen if Kazuya ever got his hands on her.

Eddy's anger got hold on him by only thinking about the CEO of the G Corp. "Aquele bastardo. If that man so much as comes near her, it will be his day standing!" he said to himself before walking over to a baggage that was open. In it was some of his training clothes. Eddy sighed. "I swore myself that I wouldn't get myself involved in these kinds of situations. But for the sake of finding Christie, I must" he said, although Eddy was reluctant to leave the orphanage once again.

The Capoeira fighter was very conflicted. But it wasn't the first he had felt this way. During his service to the Tekken Force, Eddy had sometimes questioned his role in waging war throughout the world, despite knowing the purpose behind it. After all, many human lives had perished, including those of the defenseless. But this scenario was different. Unlike the previous one, Eddy had now a chance to make it up for his mistakes by being there for Christie.

"Well, I better head to Los Angeles before the ship departs" Eddy said while packing more stuff in his baggage. However, he would have to tell his students the reason he was leaving once again. While dreading to that moment, Eddy knew what he would tell these children. "This time, I'm not only leaving this orphanage in order to hunt down the man who killed my parents. I'm also doing this to save the only family I have left" he then said.

True, given that Eddy had trained Christie in the art of Capoeira while her grandfather was in prison, Eddy had come to view the young woman as an adoptive sister. And now that his master was dead, she was all he had. Therefore, he could not afford to lose her. He knew his young students, who also knew Christie, would be supportive.

* * *

 _Inside Violet Systems HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

Having escaped being chased by the Mishima Zaibatsu back on the Bahamas, Lee Chaolan and his friends had set up in Violet System's HQ in Japan. Despite the tall building having briefly been damaged due to a Tekken Force raid not so long ago, Lee and his friends were quick to make themselves feel welcome. The charming CEO of Violet Systems was not to be underestimated when it came to keeping his business floating.

Right now, Lee was in a room alongside Lei Wulong, Alisa Bosconovitch, Master Raven and Raven. This room was very special, since it's walls were all made out of glass. As such, they were given a perfect view of Kyoto and its cityscape. Lee was standing while his guests were sitting on two couches in between them.

"So you're saying these kids wanted to enter the tournament?" Lee asked Lei while staring out the window. The silver-haired man eventually looked over his shoulder to glance at the detective. "Can't say I blame them. With all what has happened, it's the perfect opportunity to hone their skills. And Alisa here has another motive for not accompanying them. But what about you, Lei Wulong?" he asked Lei.

Lei was in deep thought before he could answer Lee. "As much as it pains me to leave my friends, I just can't enter a tournament and leave my work on hold. No, I must continue the research…...for the sake of the world" he answered.

"I see" Lee noted to himself smugly.

"But don't worry, Detective Lei. I'm sure they understand your reasons. From the looks of it, they were perfectly fine with your decision" Alisa insisted to him.

A smile crept on Lei's face. "You got that right, Alisa. And besides, the reason why I let them go is due to the fact that this tournament may help them with finding out what they really desire. I never expected them to be stuck with me all the time. That being said, I will have to continue with digging through the files I found back on the Bahamas" he said in return while assuring the agents about his commitment to his job.

"A wise decision, detective" Raven praised Lei for his choice. "Our superiors were right in choosing you to assist us" he added to her compliment towards Lei.

Lei only chuckled in hearing this. "Please, you give me too much credit. You agents have also been a great help to me" the policeman told the agent duo.

"Lee Chaolan, if I may ask you a question. We know of you being Heihachi's adopted son, therefore not related to any of the Misimas by blood. But did you and your adopted family become enemies?" Master Raven asked the man dressed in purple.

For a while, Lee was awfully quiet, yet he did provide an answer to her question. "Truth be told, I have never really managed to find a concrete answer. However, I have come up with a hypothesis for it. I believe the real reason the Mishimas banished me was because they suspected I knew about the Devil within Kazuya" the silver-haired man answered the agent.

Master Raven and her subordinate were surprised to hear it. And they could tell by the look in Lee's eyes that he was telling them the truth. They were not the only ones. Even Alisa and Lei took notice of the honesty in Lee's voice.

"He's not even lying, guys. And being in the law enforcement business, I can attest to that" Lei remarked in hearing this. But he decided to ask Lee something more. "Okay, so they suspected you were aware of Kazuya's demonic powers? Tell me, while you were living with them, did you know either Lars Alexandersson or Kazumi Mishima?" the detective questioned him.

"Sadly, I didn't" Lee answered plainly. Once again, he was being honest with his guests.

"He has a point. Don't forget that Lars is only Heihachi's illegitimate son. Therefore, no one but probably Heihachi was aware of his existence. Now as for Kazumi Mishima…she was dead by the time Heihachi adopted Lee" Raven informed Lei about some facts.

The policeman quickly saw the picture. "Of course! It all makes sense now. Heihachi adopted Lee when his relations with Kazuya started to deteriorate" he said to Lee, who slowly nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes. But even to this day, I have always been curious to know about this relationship between the Mishima clan and the Devil Gene. And as all of you know, only Kazuya and Jin are the ones to possess it. Not even Heihachi nor Jinpachi were known to have carried it" Lee said before pulling out something from the pockets of his coat. "Speaking of which, this letter arrived at this building while I was away. It's written in Chinese by a certain master whom I deeply respect. As a matter of fact, he knows that we two are working together, Lei Wulong" the silver-haired man revealed while putting the letter on the table.

Lei looked over to read the text in Chinese and he was stunned. The agents wondered who had written it, yet they were sure Lei could interpret it for them. "I don't believe it…so he also seeks to find out the truth?" the policeman wondered as he quickly recognized this handwriting.

"You recognize this handwriting?" Raven asked Lei, who nodded slowly in return.

"Yeah…..this letter is written by…Master Wang Jinrei…." Lei uttered out the name of the revered master in martial arts.

The agents were surprised to hear this. "Wang Jinrei….the revered master…" Master Raven spoke up lowly, even acknowledging his reputation.

But Alisa had slowly started to recognize who that old man was, thanks to her database functioning right. "Wang Jinrei. I remember that man. Me and Lars once met him while trying to figure out his past. From what I can recall, this wise old man said Lars reminded him of someone…but who….." the android had to admit she was curious to know.

"To be blunt, I think he thought Lars reminded him of the Mishimas. That is apparent given that he really IS a Mishima" Lee answered her with a smile. The elegant man soon directed his attention at Lei. "How about you read for us what laoshi is saying?" he suggested, to which Lei nodded his head. The detective proceeded to start reading the letter.

 _Dear Lee Chaolan and Lei Wulong_

 _I am writing this letter to you two because you are the only ones I believe I can entrust this information to. With the ongoing war, it is difficult for me to know what friend and foe is. Although young Xiaoyu also should be included amongst you, I fear that this is something she will not understand. No, my poor relative still has her head stuck in the clouds regarding her feelings for Jin Kazama. Therefore, I have chosen not to includer her in this mess. You two are the ones I can trust, given the good-natured souls that dwell in each of you. Now, you may wonder how I am doing. I am doing fine. While I should be spending the rest of my days in peace, I rest so easily. Heihachi and Kazuya are continuing to stain Jinpachi's legacy. That being said, I have begun searching through some details regarding Kazumi, who was wife to Heihachi and mother to Kazuya. I have begun reading some clues Jinpachi left for me to find out. By looking into them, I have discovered something very intriguing about the clan Kazumi originated from: the Hachijo clan. I can barely remember who they were, since they were a secretive bunch. But I still remember one of the clan's servants. It was a servant of the household, who was present at Heihachi and Kazumi's wedding. I was hoping if either of you could go and visit this fellow. And do not worry, I have already sent letters to him. He is open to meeting you. His name is Moto. Moto lives in a run-down house in Kyoto, in Minami-ku near the To-ji temple. I believe he has some information regarding the Hachijo clan. How about one of you you go visit him and find out? I understand you have begun searching for clues about Kazumi and her relationship with the Mishimas. I will be more than happy to assist you. Even now, I am beginning preparations to leave China for Japan. I will arrive in Kyoto as fast as I can. Until then, take care, youngsters. I fear this is only the beginning of something bigger._

 _Wang Jinrei_

"So that's it then? He knows about your mission to find the origins of the curse. Perhaps he can be of some help to us" Master Raven remarked after Lei was finished reading what Wang had written in the letter. "The only question is how he will help us" the young woman then concluded.

"I don't know. But then again, Master Wang is probably one of the few people in this world who knows the Mishimas best. We ought to be thankful that he risks his life to help us" Lei said, holding nothing but the uttermost respect towards the elderly man.

"Precisely. And if you want to express your gratitude towards laoshi, then you should do as he says. It was very kind of him to reach out to this Moto for us" Lee told the agents and Lee. "You three better head over to Minamu-ku and visit this man. Meanwhile, I will start getting in touch with old "acquaintances". Because of this letter from laoshi, it seems that I must also begin to act" the CEO added, expressing his desire to do his thing.

"You're talking about Lars, aren't you?" Raven asked him.

The silver-haired man smiled. "Correct. Feel free to accompany me and lovely Mrs. Alisa here if you want to. I will show you the place where he and the Tekken Force rebels are hiding." Lee told him and his superior.

"Negative. Our priority should be in helping Detective Lei with uncovering more secrets as our higher-ups instructed us" Master Raven told him, although she curved her lips into a smug smile. "Besides, we've managed to track down his location while scouting Kyoto. It came from one of Violet System's facilities. Clever move I must admit, Lee Chaolan" she then revealed.

While stunned at first, Lee had to chuckle in hearing this. "You agents never cease to amaze me. I was right in asking you to infiltrate Rochefort Enterprises and steal take those files" he commended them.

But neither agent was impressed nor flattered, as Master Raven's smile soon turned upside down into a frown. "Flattery will get you nowhere. We only assisted you due to the higher-ups saying so. And since we have helped you, you must now help us. As such, Violet Systems WILL cooperate with the UN's intelligence bureau in saving this world. Try not to forget it" the stern-headed woman reminded him.

"Of course, madam. I haven't forgotten that favor. And unlike my adoptive family, I tend to honor my promises. Especially for a good-looking woman such as yourself" Lee tried to impress Master Raven with his charms.

Master Raven simply ignored Lee's antics and turned her attention to Lei. "Perhaps we should move out. It's best we do that while the Zaibatsu and its spies are focused on the upcoming tournament" she suggested to the detective.

"Okay. But I'm still not sure if this Moto guy is trustworthy" Lei said.

"Maybe. But you do trust Wang Jinrei, do you not?" Raven questioned him. "Besides, this Moto is probably an old man if he was attending the wedding as a servant of the Hachijo clan" the man with sunglasses added to his statement.

"Then we each have something to do" Lee said while motioning for Alisa to come with him. "We will head over to the facility where Lars is allegedly hiding while you go and visit this Moto. I admit I have similar feelings as Wang does. Perhaps these recent events are all part of a bigger picture, something that will rock the entire world" the elegant man expressed his concern for what would probably happen in the future.

Lei also felt the same way. In fact, he wondered whether Wang would have some interesting details to share with him. Was finding out the root of this Mishima-feud really that important? For the sake of the world, it was. Yet, Lei was not about to back down from this mission. He would solve this case, one way or another. Such was his duties as a cop.

* * *

 _Inside a restaurant called Chanko Paradise, Tokyo, Japan_

The Sumo wrestler named Ganryu was feeling something he hadn't been in a long time: embittered, as well as betrayed. Having been captured and forced to work for his former associates in the Mishima Zaibatsu, Ganryu had tried to capture Jin alive, yet he and his allies failed. And with Jin's recent disappearance, the group was disbanded. Ganryu had returned to his restaurant, which he though had a bomb placed inside. To his utter surprise, there was none.

This only confirmed that Kazuya, Anna and Bruce had taken advantage of Ganryu's love for his restaurant and fooled him into doing their dirty work. Ever since his restaurant on Hawaii failed, Ganryu had returned to Japan, hoping that his Chanko Paradise would have better success there. He was lucky, as many tourists and other visitors would often come inside to get a taste of Sumo cuisine, including chankonabe. Ganryu was happy that his business was still going smoothly, but his bitterness over his former allies toying with him affected him daily.

When the King of Iron Fist Tournament was announced, Ganryu was watching it on the television in his restaurant. He was furious. Surprisingly, he got an idea, one that definitely didn't involve going after Michelle Chang or his daughter Julia. It was more about revenge. Somehow, Ganryu had a feeling that fighters representing the G Corp would enter the tournament. That only invigorated him to do the same.

"Those bastards! Treating me like some pet! They will regret it. I'll see to that!" Ganryu thought as he was currently doing his work in serving customers. While he was angry on the inside, he was cheerful and as happy as he could be towards his customers. It went smoothly.

Chanko Paradise had so many people and it sure was busy for every single man working inside it. Ganryu was both the owner and manager, although he did sometimes act as a waiter. But that varied. While he was cleaning a table, Ganryu overheard a conversation from a group of friends nearby. While he was listening, the Sumo wrestler was careful not to look like he was eavesdropping on them.

These customers were Steve Fox, Christie Monteiro, Asuka Kazama and Leo Kliesen. So far, they were enjoying their meal, especially Steve.

"Damn. The Japanese sure knows how to cook food" Steve remarked as he took a bite of the chankonabe.

"You do realize that this is the food Sumo wrestlers eat in order to gain weight, right?" Asuka reminded him while making sure Steve realized this.

Steve only shrugged his shoulders. "I already know that, Asuka. But what does it matter? I train hard enough in order to kill calories and all kinds of nasty fat. Besides, it doesn't hurt to taste a new cuisine" the British boxer told her.

Asuka narrowed her eyes at him. "Whatever you say, smartass" she told him, deciding not to speak to Steve anymore.

"But what are you guys thinking? Do you really wanna come along with me? I'm planning on entering the tournament" Leo asked them, the blonde-haired girl wanting to know what her newfound friends really wanted.

"Certainly, love. Besides, Lei were supportive of us doing that. He doesn't want us to be on his arse the entire time" Steve assured Leo with a grin.

"We've also been through so much with him lately, especially the chase on the Bahamas. It was only tough luck that we managed to escape the Tekken Force. Letting us off the hook is the least he can do for his to show his appreciation" Christie pointed out while taking a sip from her cup.

Hearing this made Leo smile. "Yeah, you're right. And we each have different motives for entering the tournament" the German girl told her friends before frowning deeply, thus showing her resentment. "I've overheard rumors about fighters from the G Corp entering. If the rumors are true, then I should definitely enter and see who they are. If I defeat them in combat, perhaps they will share what they know about Kazuya" she then explained her motives for entering.

"I feel you, Leo. I'm doing the same thing. I'm gonna make that old man Heihachi tell me where exactly Jin is hiding! Otherwise, I'll let him taste my kucklesandwich! The Zaibatsu will pay for waging this war under my family name!" Asuka spoke about her reason for entering the tournament.

"But you and Jin are not directly related, yes?" Steve quizzed her while raising an eyebrow.

Asuka faced him with anger. "Of course not, jackass! Hell, we're not even brothers or cousins as the media sometimes said!" she said, although the young brunette soon came back to her senses. "It pisses me off how Jin has not been captured by the ICC yet! He deserves to be behind bars if you ask me" Asuka then added.

"You could say that" Christie spoke up, the Brazilian girl thinking about someone very dear to her. "I still can't believe what Eddy did in order to save my grandpa. His actions were horrendous, but were they done for a good cause? My head is starting to spin around in circles" she then expressed her distress over this.

"Easy there, love. Perhaps you will be able find your grandpa someday. Just don't throw away your hope for now" Steve encouraged her to stay strong, something Christie greatly appreciated.

"Which is why I'm entering the tournament. Somehow, I have this feeling in my gut telling me he will be there. Despite his best efforts, Eddy has never managed to get his revenge on Kazuya Mishima. It continues to haunt him" Christie started to express her worries about Eddy's fixation on revenge. "I just hop to reach him in time before it vengeance consumes him. I know that the Eddy I knew is still inside him somewhere" the Brazilian girl added.

"You're really the optimist here, Christie. I like that" Leo commended her abilities and emotions. "Is this Eddy someone you love dearly?" she then quizzed her.

Christie started to feel her cheeks redden. But she kept it hidden for her friends to see. "As a friend, yes. But as a lover, no" she told Leo before recalling back to the good times. "You see, Eddy was the one who taught me Capoeira while my grandfather was in jail. As we trained, we become closer to each other. Not as lovers, but rather as siblings. But I'm not the only one. Even now, Eddy has begun training others in the art of Capoeira, especially to young orphans. He's such an inspiration" Christie started to recall the kind of person Eddy Gordo was to her.

"Is that so? Well, you're quite lucky to have been taught by the likes of him. I myself was taught by my father in the arts of Kazama Style Traditional Martial Arts. As such, I still value his teachings" Asuka told her friends about her father and how she looked up to him for keeping the dojo alive.

Steve mused to himself over what his friends were saying. "Well, I can clearly tell that each of us are confident in our fighting abilities. So, I have a suggestion" the blonde-haired man said while lifting his cup in the air. "How about we toast this to our friendship, as well as to wish each other luck in whatever challenge that awaits us in the tournament? It would be nice, wouldn't you agree?" he suggested to them.

His friends were pleased about this and as such, they all made a toast with their cups. "Cheers!" they said in unison, doing this to celebrate their friendship, as well as entry to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7.

Meanwhile, Ganryu felt like he had heard enough and went back to the counter. The Japanese man was surprised to find out about how he was not the only person with a vendetta towards Kazuya. At the same time, it pleased him. Ganryu wondered whether he could foster an alliance with those with the same goals as his.

But it was too early to conclude. First, he needed to know what kind of tournament this would actually be. In previous ones, Ganryu had always been dismissed as a coward and a failure. But with recent events, that was no longer the case.

"What a coincidence. To think that there are others who wants to get back at Kazuya. While I don't know their exact reasons, I can tell that they're unhappy with him. But still, I must wait and see before I can foster any type of alliance with these guys. And this time, I will not chicken out of the fights! It's time this Sumo champion showed people how he's still a dangerous adversary!" Ganryu thought behind the counter about his plans. It wouldn't be long before the fighters in Japan would gather outside the Zaibatsu's HQ. He would have to prepare himself, as would every other contestant.

 _To be continued…_


	11. The Gathering of Warriors

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Part 11: The Gathering of Warriors**

 _In the Port of Los Angeles, the Unites States of America_

There was a large gathering taking place in the American west coast city of Los Angeles, the City of Angels. But that had nothing to do with watching movies or waiting in line for a cruise ship. No, this had rather to do with the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. A large container ship was docked at the port. It was used by the Zaibatsu to transport fighters in the Americas, across the Pacific Ocean, till they reached Japan. And now, they were loading the cargo, in the form of contestants, of course.

Some of the fighters that had showed up in LA had expected few people to actually enter the tournament. But they were surprised to see about 1000 people standing in line to get onboard the ship. These fighters were everything, from common thugs and bandits to unemployed martial artists seeking fame and opportunities across the Pacific. They were people from the entire Americas, from North to South. The very scene only confirmed the fact that people across the globe were desperate for an end to this conflict. The only way to end it was to become the winner of the tournament.

Among those who were given an impression of this gathering were Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law, two best buddies in the fighting business. Having just arrived in LA from San Francisco, the two friends were not expecting this kind of turnup.

Paul whistled in amazement by what he was seeing. "Whoa. And here I thought only the bravest and strongest would show up. It's unbelievable, man!" the Judo fighter expressed his opinions while watching the tall container ship docked nearby. "That also explains the need for a ship like that to transport all of us. But are we supposed to sail across the Pacific while on a container ship?" he then asked his best friend.

"Beats me. But something's still fishy here, Paul. I mean, since when does the King of Iron Fist Tournament take in THAT many contestants?" Marshall pointed out while watching the long line. "Surely it will be too much fighters. Is the Zaibatsu even planned for this?" he added to his curiosity.

"We can speculate all we want later, but let's just get on that ship as soon as possible. You know how I hate waiting in lines. It's a giant pain in the ass" Paul told his friend, causing Marshall to chuckle smugly.

"Yeah, but this isn't the rush hour, Paul. Instead of being stuck on seats with our butts, we're now able to stretch our legs out. Doesn't that sound tempting to ya?" he asked Paul, who only shrugged his shoulders in return.

"Forget I even asked. It's best we get a move on" Paul said and the two friends made their way into the line.

Many familiar faces could be seen in this line, and they also desired to enter the tournament. At the table where the Tekken Force representatives were signing in contestants, fighters would require to tell their names, nationality and fighting style. It was an attempt to dig in some info about whether one of these fighters had been having dealings with the Zaibatsu's enemies, particularly the G Corporation.

"So, you wish to enter the tournament?" the tournament officer asked Bryan Fury, as he was standing there with his usual cold expression.

"Damn straight. I'm only entering for the joy of conflict!" Bryan exclaimed with a hidden bloodlust in his voice.

"Then tell us your name, place of birth and fighting style. Then you may proceed" the tournament officer informed him.

As much as it irritated Bryan, he decided to only do this once. "Name's Bryan Fury. I'm from the USA, in case ya didn't notice. My fighting style is Kickboxing, where I take pleasure in cracking skulls of my opponents. That's all you need to know" the cyborg explained himself.

"Fair enough, you may proceed, sir" the tournament officer told him, and Bryan grinned to himself in delight as he moved on. Once he was gone, the soldier breathed out a sigh of relief. "That guy sure creeped me the hell out. Was he even human?" he asked his cohorts.

"Worry about that later. We don't have all day to be staying in Los Angeles. We must leave if we are to reach Tokyo in time" the cohort advised him and he did that without hesitation.

"Next, please" the tournament official called out to the next contestant, yet he was surprised to see who it was that wanted in the tournament. It was a chubby, blonde-haired man who wore ripped jeans and a messy shirt with flowers on it. He could be seen holding a can of Pepsi in his right hand. The tournament officer and his cohorts were dumbfounded. "So…you wish to enter the tournament?" he asked him.

The blonde-haired man only smiled smugly as he was asked about that. "Absolutely. I'm always up for any challenge I face. People still say that I'm some kind of a deluded fighter. But I'm not! The secret to my fighting is speed and weight. That's what I wanna show them! No way I'm gonna avoid the tournament just because of some haters judging me" he said determinedly.

"You don't say….." the tournament officer said, still unsure about taking this man's words seriously. "Alright then. All you need to do is tell us your name, where you are from and what sort of fighting style you use in combat. Then you may get onboard the ship" he told the man.

"The name's Robert Richards, but you can call me Bob. I'm from the USA. My talents in combat revolves around Freestyle Karate. Haven't you heard about me before?" the man named Bob told them while showcasing his moves.

The soldiers decided enough was enough, and they simply gestured him to proceed towards the ship, which Bob happily did. Neither of them couldn't believe that a man with such body had enough guts to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. They even wondered whether he was just taking a bet or not.

"Next, please" the tournament officer called out and was approached by the soldier named Bo Montana aka Rodeo. The Tekken Force officers had to admit they were curious about him. "So, you wish to enter the tournament?" he asked the soldier.

"Yeah, I also overheard what I had to do next before proceeding towards the ship. My name's Bo Montana, but my friends call me Rodeo. I'm from the USA and my fighting style usually revolves around US Military hand-to-hand combat" Rodeo quickly explained what he was capable of.

"Ah, I see. Thank you for saving me the trouble of asking so much. You may proceed towards the ship" the tournament officer told him and Rodeo took his leave. "A US Army soldier…...this could get dirty" he admitted to his cohorts.

"It matters not. We have had worse contestants in previous tournaments. Try not to forget that" his cohort reminded him.

"You're right, I take it back. Next, please" the tournament officer resumed his duties and the one who was approaching him was a young and attractive woman wearing sunglasses. This was Katarina Alves. "So, you wish to enter the tournament?" he asked her.

Katarina only smiled smugly with her lips while licking them with her tongue. "Gladly. I have so many reasons for entering it, but one of them is to kick some ass. I was getting bored in being stuck home all day" the brunette told him.

"Very well. Then tell us your name, where you are from and what fighting style you have" the officer said to the woman.

Katarina stroke her hair before opening her mouth. "My name's Katarina Alves. I come from Brazil. My fighting style is Savate. Once you see it in action, you will know how good I am" she introduced herself.

"Interesting. Well, miss. The ship awaits you" the officer directed her towards the container ship and Katarina happily took her leave.

"Thank you so much, guys! Até logo!" Katarina said and made her way to the ship.

The long line continued until most of the fighters were onboard. Once everything was settled, the container ship drove out of the harbor and into the open ocean. But that didn't stop the thousand contestants from socializing and treating the trip as if it was a cruise. As such, they began partying, sleeping, eating, smoking and doing all kinds of messed up things bandits would. The many containers that the ship had were being used as houses. Even so, the Tekken Force officers accepted what the contestants were doing. They were holed up on the bridge, which were locked for the contestants of course. And they would of course be safe from any kind of mischief the fighters would create.

Paul and Marshall were among the last fighters in the line, so they had gotten onboard it late. As they were trying to force their way through the crowd, Paul widened his eyes in surprise when he could spot two familiar faces standing by themselves. It was the Brazilian Capoeira fighter: Eddy Gordo and the Mexican wrestler: King.

"Hey! I know those two! Let's go say hello!" Paul said smugly and began waving his hand towards them while walking.

Marshall was only dumbfounded as he heard his best friend say that. "What? Hold on, Paul. I don't think it's a…" he was interrupted by Paul looking over his shoulder to face him.

"Relax. They were part of that suicide team I was on. I told you that, didn't I?" Paul said before returning to get the attentions of King and Eddy. They finally took notice of him. "Hey there, guys! What a coincidence! Didn't know you were also interested in cracking some skulls" the blonde-haired man tried to make an impression of them.

Neither Eddy nor King was pleased to see him. "You again? Why are you even entering the tournament? I thought you were more interested in getting famous on the sreets" Eddy questioned him while folding his arms. "On second thought, it's no surprise this tournament's a thug-magnet for someone like you" he then remarked in slight amusement.

Paul did not take kindly to what he was saying. "Really? I'm just trying to be polite towards ya and this is what you say to me? Learn how to treat people with dignity, Mr. Breakdancer" he told him, something Eddy did not take kindly to.

"It is rare for you to speak about dignity, considering the fact that you show none towards your opponents" King spoke up his opinion of Paul, thus earning him the Judo fighter's glare. King looked to another direction. "Nevertheless, this is a tournament. We're not here to make friends. Remember that, Paul Phoenix" the man in the jaguar mask pointed out maturely.

"Exactly! I was just trying to make Paul see that. But he never listens" Marshall claimed and began tugging on Paul's outfit. "You heard them, buddy. Things are different than before" he insisted to his best friend.

Paul only snorted in return. "Whatever. I just hope you regret saying that once I've beaten each of you in the tournament" he told them with a smug smile.

Eddy only raised an eyebrow at him. "Have you seriously been drinking since you got back from Japan? You're not even thinking straight with your head. Deus" the man with the dreadlocks expressed his irritation with Paul.

Before Paul could retaliate by opening his mouth, he was stopped once King spoke up before him. "Besides. If I were you I would have been careful around my surroundings on this ship. You may haven't noticed it, but there are some familiar faces who recognizes you" the wrestler told him before walking away.

Paul and Marshall only stared at him with raised eyebrow, yet Marshall was the one more confused of them both. "What did he mean by that? Paul, you think some of the fighters you encountered on your mission could be here on this…" the Chinese-American man was interrupted by the voice of Eddy.

"They are. Why don't you look around and see for yourself?" Eddy suggested to Paul.

Instead of resorting to his self-righteousness, Paul did in fact look around among the crowds. As he did that, he was stunned to see who else was on the container ship. One by one, he could spot Bryan Fury, Katarina Alves and Armor King standing among the crowd. It was shocking for him to realize that.

"Paul?" his best friend asked, feeling slightly concerned over him.

Paul grabbed Marshall's hand and dragged him away. "Let's just go to another place to mingle, pal. This isn't the exact spot to be staying on. We should find us a container to stay in, instead" he insisted as he walked away.

Eddy watched this with a slightly mused look. But he had no form of distaste towards Marshall, only Paul. "Still feeling like you know the answers. Tolo" he said what he thought about Paul in Portuguese. Eddy then decided to move to another location.

But some of these fighters Eddy was talking about had taken notice of Paul and Marshall arriving, yet none of them paid attention to the Judo fighter, let alone consider him a dangerous adversary.

Bryan, who was leaning against a container by himself only chuckled lowly. "So even the dumbest fighters think they can stand against me? What a joke!" the cyborg exclaimed, before deciding to go and see what was inside the container he was leaning against. To his indifference, he found nothing. That only pleased Bryan. "I'll stay in here while on this ship. All this partying and boozing only pisses me off" he muttered.

Katarina only liked her lips as she observed the fighters around her. "I see a lot of men onboard, but few women. But that doesn't matter. These burros will only regret underestimating me once they fight me for real" the Brazilian women noted to herself while taking a glass of champagne. Katarina had her own reasons for entering the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. "I know that I shouldn't take the G Corp's words for granted. But I somehow suspect they know something about papai's disappearance. And I intend on finding more" she declared.

Armor King had been following King's movements, including the conversation he had with Paul. Still, it didn't agitate him one bit. He would still fight the wrestler and could even take on King's "friends" if they interfered. Wanting to be alone, Armor King began moving away from the partying crowds. As he was not far from King's location, Armor King felt more than willing to go over there and fight him. But he couldn't. Therefore, he chose to stay by himself by one of the many containers on the ship. While leaning against it, the man wearing the black jaguar mask thought about why he was restraining himself from confronting King.

"As much as it's tempting to assassinate you during the night, I will not do it. Despite what you claim, I am a man of honor" Armor King thought about the words King had said to him back in Japan. "Therefore, I will defeat you in the more honorable fashion. When I emerge victorious, you will realize your error in calling me dishonorable!" he continued with those angry thoughts to himself.

There were more veterans from the tournament onboard this ship. Two of them were Julia Chang and her adoptive mother Michelle Chang. In the previous tournament, Julia had infiltrated the G Corporation as a spy for Lee Chaolan. She had actually done that voluntarily, wanting to discover what the G Corporations plans really were. With her intelligence, she was placed in the G Corp's archeology division. But the brunette was in for a shocker. Like many other curious spies, Julia was stunned to discover that Kazuya Mishima was the biotech firm's new CEO. But unfortunately for her, Kazuya had discovered about her motives and was held hostage as a result. But she was eventually freed by Lars Alexandersson and Alisa Bosconovitch. Since then, Julia had returned to Arizona, where her tribe was living.

Once finding out about Jin's disappearance and the announcement of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7, Julia felt like she could no longer stay silent. People across the world were deeply affected by the war, as well as the nature. But this time, Julia would not go there alone. Her adoptive mother insisted on accompanying her, since she had grown concerned over Julia being held hostage by the G Corp. Furthermore, Michelle wanted to personally confront either Heihachi or Kazuya and kick their butts. In her eyes, neither father nor son were different. Both were two sides of the same rotten coin.

Julia was confused at first. But seeing how she would need her assistance, the brunette happily let her adoptive mother accompany her. Together, they would put an end to this chaotic war. Truth be told, having Michelle onboard could prove helpful to Julia's objectives. After all, it was she who taught Julia how to fight Xin Yi Liu He Quan and Baji Quan.

Michelle was wearing a short tiger-stripe jacket and matching scarf with a blue sleeveless midriff underneath, short pale blue denim shorts with a silver-buckled white belt and brown cowboy boots. She also wore several bracelets on her wrists and a pink Native American headdress with a single feather on the right side of her head. It was a new look for Michelle.

"Argh! People on this scrapheap have neither manners nor common decency. I can't count the number of times those thugs have ogled at me since we got onboard. They're nothing but a bunch of perverts!" Michelle expressed her frustration with how the men were treating her.

Julia only shook her head in disbelief while musing to herself at the same time. "Trust me, I know how that feels like. But I usually ignore their attempts to woo me over. And whenever somebody tries to put their hands on me, I give them a fistful. Works every time" the brunette told her adoptive mother.

Michelle let a deep sigh. "I guess being stuck in Arizona for a quarter of years can change much on the outside world. Heck, I haven't even begun changing with it" she told her adoptive daughter yet decided to switch over the subject to something more drastic. "But let's change the subject. What is your plan once we reach Japan? We may have a shot in infiltrating the Mishima Zaibatsu, but I'm not sure about the G Corporation. Don't forget, those guys still know who you are given that you were a spy once" Michelle wanted to know whether Julia had any plans.

"I know, mom. But trust me, I have a plan for how we can proceed, yet we need to be more drastic here. We have yet to find out whether Jin Kazama really is dead or not" Julia explained to Michelle.

She responded by only staring at her questionably. "Yeah…but, you really think he will be of help to us, Julia? I respect your wisdom in giving people second chances, but that dark aura inside Jin…it's twisted beyond imagination...…...if not more powerful than that of Kazuya's" Michelle pointed out, yet she sounded somewhat confused.

Julia had to giggle in hearing this. "I know. And I hope that one day, there will exists a research that can remove dark entity's such as the Devil Gene from a human body. Perhaps I can find that cure" she told her adoptive mother while thinking about the research she had done over the years. "I mean, wouldn't it feel great if you managed to find a cure for the Devil Gene, you know in case with Kazuya…." Julia said, only for Michelle to snap at her.

"Hold on! No way! Kazuya may have been handsome and all back then, but there's way I would've helped him!" she told Julia. "Don't forget, that arrogant jackass constantly hunted me for that damn pendant I used to wear…." Michelle explained, yet she felt somewhat ashamed of herself as she was saying those words. "Sometimes…...it's difficult to forget the past…...if I could've gone back in time, I would've destroyed that pendant rather than safeguard it…" she admitted to her adoptive daughter.

Julia could understand her pain and guilt. "Mom. Ogre's awakening wasn't your doing. It was Heihachi's" she tried to encourage her adoptive mother. "I partially understand why you stayed in the wilds. You did it out of guilt for what had happened during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3. Just so you know, I never faulted you for Ogre being awakened, and so did the other fighters I fought beside. And don't forget, even the tribe doesn't fault you for that as well" the brunette then told him.

Hearing those words softened Michelle's expression and she smiled at her adoptive daughter. "I know…thank you for believing in me, Julia. I never knew I needed to hear those words" she expressed her gratitude towards Julia.

Julia only giggled as she heard this. "Sure. That's what family and tribe is for, right?" she questioned Michelle. This forced the Native American woman herself to giggle in return.

"You've really taken much after me. I'm so slow to even notice it" she remarked, yet Julia gave her a playful nudge in return. This was the bond the two shared as a mother and a daughter. Despite not being related to one another by blood, their bond was unbreakable.

Not far from where the Chang-duo were standing, Rodeo could be seen sitting on one of the many containers. He was observing the partying that occurred below him, as he gazed behind the ship's bridge to see that the coastline could no longer be seen. The American soldier closed his eyes while feeling the breeze coming at him, given that he was sitting so high.

"So this is it, huh? So long, America. I'll return home soon" Rodeo uttered out, the young man acting surprisingly calm. He then opened his eyes to survey the many fighters that were onboard this ship. "Well, I was given a file of some of the previous contestants who had entered the previous King of Iron Fist Tournaments. But I'll find out more about them soon enough. So far, I can tell that the majority of these "fighters" are all but amateurs and wannabe heroes" he said of the fighters, before noticing something taking place below him.

The crowds of fighters had created a ring, as if they were surrounding someone. But this time, they were now watching something. It was what appeared to be a dance off between two fighters. It was Eddy Gordo against Tiger Jackson. Like Eddy, Tiger was also a master in Capoeira and was now trying to match up to Eddy's pace with his own moves. They danced as people were cheering for them, some of the bandits even betting what money they had left on each of these Capoeira fighters.

"GO! GO! GO! GO!" the fighters continued to chant towards each of them. So far, Eddy and Tiger were enjoying this competition, each considering the other to be a worthy opponent in Capoeira, although Eddy still maintained a sense of pride within himself.

Rodeo mused to himself, before he looked towards the endless distance of the ocean to his right. The proud soldier narrowed his blue eyes as he watched the endless fields of water. Right now, he was thinking about someone. "Wherever you are…I know you're watching this…...Revenant" he thought about his hated yet mysterious enemy, knowing very well that he could have eyes and ears everywhere on the world, even on the seas. That individual was not to be underestimated.

* * *

 _In the harbor of Shangai, China_

While the gathering of contestants for those in the Americas happened in Los Angeles, those who lived in Eurasia were heading towards Shanghai in China. The city was enormous and so was its population. But it was at the city's harbor where the Mishima Zaibatsu were waiting to load the contestants for the tournament. Unlike the case in Los Angeles, the type of ship the Zaibatsu had docked was a cruise liner. Compared to cruise liners from the international brands, it was relatively small, but it was large enough to house so many contestants. Representatives from the Tekken Force were organizing the arrival of contestants, which like in Los Angeles, were about 1000 people. It surprised those who had come to Shanghai in order to fight.

Among those weary travelers was the old, but wise fighter himself: Wang Jinrei. He was stunned to see how many people had actually showed up. Surveying the long line, he could see fighters from various nationalities, both from Europe and Asia. It was incredible! All these fighters would cross the South China Sea, sailing around Japan until they met arrived in Tokyo.

"Oh dear. So many young and repulsive souls seeking fame and glory beyond the sea. I only hope these people know what they are doing" Wang thought as he watched men and women alike express their determination in entering this fight. Knowing better than to be distracted by this large gathering, Wang stood in the line, hoping to find some rest once he had gotten onboard. As he stood there, the elderly man couldn't help but to think about his relative: Ling Xiaoyu. "Young Xiaoyu, I kindly advise you to stay out of this tournament. However, I do not expect you to heed my words. You are as stubborn as ever, girl" the Chinese man noted, recalling all those times Xiaoyu had gotten into an argument with him.

Wang was not the only one to have arrived. Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort and her butler Sebastian were standing in awe of what they were seeing in the harbor. "Sacré Bleu! I cannot believe my own eyes" Sebastian expressed his reaction while adjusting his glasses. He then looked to his young mistress. "Madame Lili, are you certain about this? Is this what you wish to do?" he asked her.

The blonde-haired girl swayed her golden locks lovingly before facing her butler. "Of course, Sebastian. We have come so far. There is no turning back now" Lili assured and faced the long line that was beginning to move as minutes passed. Lili began taking off, but not before turning around to face Sebastian one last time. "You know where to meet up with me. I expect you to be waiting at Japan's harbor with a limousine ready. And if my father calls, please tell him I'm just on a cruise tour in the South China Sea. That will convince him easily" the young girl explained to Sebastian what he was supposed to do.

Sebastian formally bowed his head to Lili. "Bien sûr, madame. Your wish is my command. But just promise me that you will make it to Japan safely. There is no telling what kind of machinations the Mishima Zaibatsu are pulling here" the old man told her, still expressing his concerns for his mistress' safety.

Lili only giggled while hearing this. "I know, Sebastian. I'll do my best. Besides, I'll still keep in touch with you with that new cell phone you gave me. I humbly thank you for it, by the way" she told him.

"Mon plaisir, Madame Lilli. Anything in order to keep you safe from harm. I hope you will have fun on this trip of yours. Until we meet again, a fond adieu" Sebastian told her and began moving back towards the limousine that was waiting for him in the harbor.

Lili, realizing that there was no time to waste, headed towards the long line, not wanting to arrive onboard late.

Also arriving in the harbor was Shaheen and Zafina, the two fighters from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, respectively. Having traveled all the way to Shanghai, the two Middle Eastern fighters felt more than obliged to accept Heihachi's call for the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7.

"At last, we have arrived in Shanghai. Hard to believe how busy to docks can be" Shaheen remarked while watching the many ships that were coming to and from the harbor.

Zafina mused to herself in seeing this. "Clearly, you have not traveled as much as I have. Once you have done that, you will find how big this world really is. That is something you should take heart to, Shaheen" the purple-haired woman informed him.

Shaheen only chuckled in return. "I did not realize you were a terrific counselor, Zafina. Maybe you should consider a new line of work, a psychiatrist maybe" he suggested to her comically, causing Zafina to glare at him annoyingly. "What? I can be humorous sometimes. Does our conversations always have to be so serious?" he then asked Zafina.

"No. But it's just that…...this is probably the first time I have heard you trying to be humorous" she said in a surprised manner. Zafina then formed a smug smile with her lips. "Even so, it fell flat. I have heard funnier lines than what you just told me" the Egyptian woman insisted to him, trying to get under Shaheen's skin.

Seeing this made Shaheen clear his throat in order to change the topic. "Very well. Shall we get in the line? It may take some hours before we are onboard" the Saudi Arabian man suggested to his partner.

"Absolutely" she told him and they both stood in the line, which was already filled with fighters waiting to be signed in.

The representatives of the Tekken Force were already busy with all the fighters who had showed up for the tournament. One by one, they came and had to say their names, nationalities and where they were from. It was a hard job, but none of the officials experienced any difficulties with the contestants.

"Next, please" the tournament official said and stepping forward was none other than Sergei Dragunov himself. He remained calm and aloof as ever, even in a case such as this. "So, you wish to enter the tournament? Then you need to tell us what your name is, where you are from and what fighting style you have" the soldier told him.

Dragunov didn't open his mouth to speak, instead reaching for something in one of his jacket's pockets. He held up what appeared to be some kind of passport, except that his fighting style was also written on it. The officials leaned over to get a better look at it.

"Let me see here. Name: Sergei Dragunov. Place of birth: Russia. Fighting style: Sambo. Okay, that pretty much summed it up" the soldier said and wrote down the details on a paper. He then motioned for Dragunov to move on. "Okay, sir. You may proceed towards the ship" he told him and the Russian soldier did that without saying a word.

"Some man he was. Speaking with his hands and eyes instead of mouth. Must be a mime or something" another solider began mocking Dragunov, yet his cohorts were not buying his joke.

"Save your tasteless jokes for later. Next, please" the tournament official called out to the next fighter who wanted to sign up for the tournament. "So, you wish to enter the tournament?" he asked the tall man, who was Miguel Caballero Rojo, a Spanish brawler with a passion for fighting.

Miguel only smirked in return. "Sí. I have longed for a true battle, one that I can't find on the empty streets. That is why I want in" he replied.

"Okay. Then just tell us your name, nationality and your fighting style. Then you are free to go onboard the ship" the official told him.

The aggressive Spaniard only shrugged his shoulders in hearing this. Then again, he was more than happy to tell them who he was. "Me llamo Miguel Caballero Rojo. Soy de España. Mi estilo de lucha es peleando" he told about himself in Spanish.

Even so, the officials were not impressed in hearing Miguel trying to make an impression of them. "Alright. Thank you for filling us in. You may now board the ship" the tournament official told Miguel, who snorted before making his move. "Great. Another thug with lofty goals. I bet he won't even make it to Japan" he told his comrades, who had to laugh in hearing this.

As they were laughing, they failed to notice someone approaching their table. This made the soldiers stop their antics and focus on her. It was surprising. The woman standing before them was none other than Nina Williams, Jin Kazama's former right-hand woman. Her choice of attire was also questionable. She wore a white wedding dress. It was quite ironic, considering that Nina in reality was a cold-blooded assassin. Why did she wear such clothing?

"Well, you wish to enter the tournament, madam?" the official asked Nina, who was still facing him with her usual frown.

"I sure do, Mr. Tekken Force member. I just ran away from a wedding-gone-wrong. So I have more than enough reason to join this tournament" Nina spoke up, her voice as sarcastic as ever. But she was not yet finished speaking. "And I've observed what you need to do in order to proceed. I'll just fill in everything for you here and now. The name's Nina Williams, born and raised in Ireland. If I need to classify my fighting skills, then I would say that they're around assassination arts, based upon Aikido and Koppojutsu" the blonde-haired woman told everything, not caring about how stunned the tournament officials were in hearing this.

"Y-yes. Well, ma'am. You may proceed" the official told her and Nina took her leave without saying anything. Once she was gone, he began whispering to his cohorts. "Hey! What is she doing here!? You know who Nina Williams is, right?" he whispered.

"Yeah, she used to be the Kazama-punk's right-hand woman. But when Heihachi returned, she left. What is she planning now?" one of his cohorts asked, starting to feel slightly suspicious.

"Worry about that later. Right now, getting these people onboard is our top priority!" another cohort told his comrades and they decided to switch focus to the contestants.

"You're right. Next, please" the next fighter showed up at the table. It was the Chinese Kenpo master named Feng Wei. True, he had arrived in Shanghai after leaving his place of birth somewhere in the northern regions of China. Now, he was there to enter the tournament. "So, you wish to enter the tournament?" the officer asked him.

"I do" Feng replied, his voice sounding calm and low.

"Very well. Then just tell us your name, where you are from and what your fighting skills are. Then you can proceed" the officer said and Feng knew what to say.

"I am Feng Wei, from China. I am a Chinese Kenpo master. That is what you need to know about me" the Chinese man told the soldiers in his usual monotone voice. To their surprise, he took off before the soldiers could even tell him to do. This left them surprised, wondering what kind of attitude this man had.

Once every fighter was boarded, the cruise ship left the Shanghai docks and sailed into the South China Sea, setting course for Japan. While the Tekken Force officers were holding up on the bridge, the fighters began treating this as a real cruise trip. As such, they began venturing out of their cabins to either drink, eat or gamble. It was a relief for the majority of contestants, who were penniless and wanted to experience the life of luxury while it was still there.

Zafina and Shaheen were hanging at the bar, watching was people were relaxing by the lounge or other places while listening or dancing to jazz music that was being played on a scene. People were living the life, despite that the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 was no fancy trip, it was a contest to determine the strongest fighter in the universe.

"Well now. I did not expect to find you onboard this ship" the Middle Eastern fighters heard a familiar voice coming to them from the left. They were surprised to see who was standing there. It was Claudio Serafino, the Italian exorcist they had befriended during their previous trip to Japan. The slick-haired man was holding a glass of champagne in his right hand. "Saluti, Shaheen of Saudi Arabia and Zafina of Egypt. A pleasure to meet you once again" he expressed his greetings.

"Ahlan ya Claudio Serafino. I could say the same thing about you" Shaheen extended his greetings towards him. "I take it you also wish to enter the King of Iron Fist Tournament" he spoke his mind.

Claudio gently nodded his head in return. "Ovviamente. With the ongoing war still raging across the world, the Archers of Sirius have decided to finally make our move. As such, we will give shelter to the victims of all this warmongering" he said before taking a sip from his glass. "Also, there are the devils who still roam free on the world. I will begin hunting them down as soon as I arrive in Japan" he explained what his motives were.

"You still believe Jin Kazama is alive, don't you? Despite what the media says?" Zafina questioned him.

"Sì. They all tell you what Heihachi and Kazuya want you to hear. But I am not so easy to manipulate. False news will never sway a champion of Sirius" Claudio answered her.

"That is very thoughtful of you" Shaheen told him, but decided to get more serious with his exorcist friend. It was the same with Zafina. "But remember, Claudio. This tournament is different than before. We are all supposed to be competitors" he reminded him and Zafina.

The purple-haired woman stared at him confused. "Since when did you decide to get all serious all of a sudden?" she questioned him.

"No reason to question him. Shaheen has a point. But either way, my priority is not winning this ridiculous torneo. It is my hunt for the devils that matters" Claudio said, before forming a smug smile at Shaheen. "On the other hand, you are welcome to try and defeat me in the tournament if you want. I bet you will be a worthy opponent to face. The same goes for you, Zafina" the exorcist then told him.

Both Middle Eastern fighters were amused by how Claudio was willing to challenge them so simply. Then again, it was a tournament. They could sharpen their skills in defeating whoever made it to the finals.

"I would like to see you try" Zafina began taunting him slightly, yet the Italian man didn't necessarily take it serious enough.

There were other people who was enjoying this festivity on the cruise ship. The young Taekwondo fighter named Hwoarang was watching some of the contestants gambling while sitting on a couch by himself. They were all enthusiastic about winning so much money as they could. Therefore, it was almost as if they were in a casino.

Even so, the Korean man was uninterested in participating in gambling. Hwoarang recalled he had done that a couple of times back in Seoul, yet he grew bored of it as it wasn't as fun as engaging in confrontations. As he thought about his home, Hwoarang began thinking about his master: Baek Doo San. He realized that leaving him back on the airport was a rude and foolish move. But in Hwoarang's mind, it was worth it.

"Master…" Hwoarang lowly uttered as he held a glass of champagne in his right hand. "Please trust me on this one. I promise I won't screw up like I did in Souq" he said while stroking over his eyepatch. Baek had a right to feel concerned about Hwoarang's well-being. His chase for Jin had cost him his right eye.

Meanwhile, Miguel was heading for the bar, ordering a glass of wine. But that was when he was approached by a couple of contestants, who seemed to be a pair of British thugs. They were not pleased about the fact that Miguel had taken one of their seats.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" the first one asked in an English accent.

"Aye! That's me stool! Git aff it!" the other one spoke in a Scottish accent.

Miguel only looked over his shoulder to face the thugs, and he didn't seem intimidated by them in the slightest. "So what? It's mine now. Deal with it, you couple of British bastardos!" he told them in his foul language.

The Englishman and the Scot would not back down from this confrontation. "You better watch it, ya Spanish wanker! We can kick your sorry bum to the curve!" the Englishman warned him while cracking his knuckles.

The Scot was doing the same thing with his. "Ye heard th' lad. Noo, get aff afore we kick yer broon arse!" he joined in on threatening Miguel.

To their surprise, Miguel turned around on the stool and he began facing the two thugs in a threateningly manner. Now, it was his time to crack his knuckles. From the looks of it, he was very mad and the British thugs could see it.

"Unfortunately for you, I've had a bad day" Miguel told them with a smug smile before frowning deeply in anger. "Now I'm gonna beat the shit out of you, gilipollas!" he swore at them in Spanish and proceeded to punch each of the thugs out of consciousness.

The other contestants in the bar could have joined in taking down Miguel. But seeing as how the Spaniard easily dealt a blow to the British thugs, they decided not to confront him and stay FAR away from him as possibly. With that taken care off, Miguel returned to his stool, finally being able to enjoy his glass of wine in peace.

Someone was observing the activities from a balcony upstairs. Through her golden binoculars, Lili could see what each of these fighters were doing. "I see a lot of men here, but little women. What I would do for having more diversity in this tournament" she said while letting out a sigh. But her binoculars suddenly detected something nearby, as if someone was watching Lili. It came from above one of the balconies across her location. But when she looked up, she saw no one standing there. Lili removed her golden binoculars. "Strange. Why would my binoculars tell me to look up with someone was there? They must be getting rusty" the young girl said as she decided to find another spot to look at the festivities.

Unbeknownst to Lili, someone had indeed been standing above that balcony. It was Nina, had quickly vanished from her spot the minute Lili looked up with her binoculars. The assassin was surveying the various crowds of fighters below her. Since the incident in Tokyo, Nina had returned to her job as an assassin-for-hire. Some of them even required her to infiltrate wedding ceremonies, which explained the dress she wore. However, the blonde-haired woman wanted to find out whether or not Jin was alive. She didn't believe anything the media told her. It was one of the reasons why she was willing to participate in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7.

Nina carefully studied each of the fighters she had seen before, including those who could prove a challenge to her.

"I see some familiar faces here. Miguel Caballero Rojo and Feng Wei, they were with the G Corporation last time I was in Japan. But I doubt that's no longer the case here. Then there are also these individuals. Claudio Serafino, the Italian exorcist. Sergei Dragunov, the Russian soldier. Zafina, the Egyptian assassin" Nina analyzed the situation. However, she couldn't find one person she thought of as a person of interest. He was not among those festive crowds. "And then there is that old man: Wang Jinrei. Where is he? I saw him getting on the ship. I assume he must be in his cabin" the blonde-haired woman thought about the elderly man she knew about.

For some reason, Nina couldn't help but to wonder whether her sister Anna would enter the tournament as a G Corp representative. But the blonde-haired woman brushed it off. Anna was now an important associate o Kazuya. It would be foolish of him to send her off into Heihachi's clutches. The same thing could be said for Bruce Irvin, who was the leading commander of the G Corp's armed forces.

"I don't care whether you or Kazuya enters the tournament. I won't waste energy on either of you idiots. My objectives do not concern you" the assassin thought about Anna before deciding to move to another location. "I still can't wait to test my skills on anyone who thinks they're hotshots. That gives me satisfaction" she admitted to herself, thus displaying her usual sadistic tendencies.

While the majority of the contestants were living the life, not everyone was following the way of partying to their heart's content. Wang was indeed on the ship. But he was seated on the bed in his cabin. He was disinterested in engaging such senseless partying. To be blunt, he couldn't understand why people would celebrate, knowing that they were entering a tournament where only the strongest survived. Either way, Wang felt no obligation to lecture them, seeing as how they were young and naïve.

Instead, Wang was concentrated on something that had been on his mind for the last couple of days. Having just read the diary of his longtime friend Jinpachi Mishima, Wang was now given a new perspective of the Mishima clan and the conflict that dominated its history. But could he even consider that conflict to play a part in the clan's history? From what Wang had found out. It was only partially true.

"Jinpachi…." Wang thought about his lifelong best friend. "Why did you shoulder all that burden to yourself? Was it because you believed that Heihachi would embrace your ideals…or was it because you refused to kill Kazumi and believed she was a victim of a great injustice? Either way, the answer still eludes me" the elderly man noted.

It was true. Wang had learned more about Kazumi, who before married Heihachi, was actually known as Kazumi Hachijo. Wang had almost forgotten about the clan which Kazumi originally came from. From what he recalled, it was a clan similar to the Mishimas and the Kazamas, as they had their own style of Karate. Other than that, the old man was not entirely sure about it's history. But he still remembered what Kazumi was alike. From what he could recall, Kazumi had been sent to the Mishima dojo as a young girl to train under Jinpachi. The Hachijos had done that as a good gesture and respect towards the Mishimac Patriarch. It was also during that time, Kazumi met Heihachi and the two children became fierce rivals. But that rivalry soon developed into a friendship and that friendship eventually developed into a romantic relationship.

"Ah, Heihachi…..how you were so much different back then…" Wang uttered out in disappointment of Jinpachi's son. "If only Kazumi were still alive to see what you had done….would she still love you?" the elderly man began pondering over that question.

* * *

 _On top of the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

Christie Monteiro, Asuka Kazama, Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen and Steve Fox were currently in an elevator that was taking them upstairs to the Zaibatsu HQ's rooftop. They had simply entered the lobby and stated where they had to sign up for the tournament. But instead of being required to state their names, nationalities and fighting styles, the receptionist had simply pinpointed them towards the elevator and the four friends entered it as a result. On the way up, Christie couldn't help but to wonder how strange this was.

"We're walking straight into the HQ of the Mishima Zaibatsu, and they tell us to go up on the rooftop? Just what kind of game is it?" the Brazilian woman questioned her friends while feeling slightly uneasy about this.

"Don't know. But I take it all the contestants who wishes to enter the tournament were sent there as well" Steve gave her an answer. "I wonder how many people will actually show up" he then wondered, feeling slightly excited about this.

"Considering that we're in Japan, I bet there are plenty of thugs and crooks alike who wants to gain a shot by entering the tournament. The same thing can be said for dojo masters" Asuka told him before cracking her knuckles. "Even so, I'm always up for a challenge. No way I'm gonna walk way now" the brunette expressed her confidence in entering this tournament.

As soon as the elevator stopped, the four friends realized they were now at the top of the Zaibatsu HQ. The doors opened, and they stepped outside. However, they were given a surprise to see over hundred people standing in this area. The rooftop itself had almost no spaces left.

"Bloody hell…." Steve cursed as he could watch the large gathering of contestants standing before him and his friends.

"So many contestants…...in one place!" Leo expressed her disbelief in what she was seeing.

"All of these guys are entering the tournament!? No way!" Christie was stunned.

Among the large gathering were many well-known fighters and veterans, not just common bandits. Those fighters were the Sumo wrestler named Ganryu, the ninjas called Yoshimitsu and Kunimitsu and a strange soldier calling himself Crow. Other celebrities included Josie Rizal, a Tekken Force officer from the Philippines, Ling Xiaoyu, one of Jin's former classmates and the trio of G Corp representatives, consisting of Lucky Chloe, JACK 7 and Gigas. For the latter trio, it was easy to slide in the tournament, given that they didn't require to give the Zaibatsu any information about themselves. Even with JACK 7 tagging along, they didn't even raise suspicions from the Zaibatsu.

Chloe let out a deep sigh as she stood beside her "partners" from the G Corp. "I'm glad we got here without any problems, but how come there are so many contestants here? And why does the majority of them appear to be nothing but wackos? Unbelievable in my opinion" the blonde-haired girl asked.

JACK 7 began analyzing the various fighters as he heard what Chloe said. Gigas only stood still, not doing anything, let alone making a growl as he was known to have done. "Initiating collection of data…." JACK 7 spoke, his red eyes glowing as he did that.

Chloe only glanced up to the robot. "Uh-huh. Find anything useful, so far? Like, is Jin Kazama, Eddy Gordo or Nina Williams amongst the crowd?" she asked him.

"Negative. I cannot sense them on my radar" JACK 7 informed her, yet he continued to find more clues about certain connections to those three individuals. "However, some of these fighters standing here have some connection to those three individuals. Connected to Jin Kazama: Asuka Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu. Connected to Eddy Gordo: Christie Monteiro. And connected to Nina Williams: Steve Fox. It is what the files tell us with regards to these connections" the robot then revealed.

Lucky Chloe was not sure whether she got what JACK 7 was telling her, but she understood there were persons of interests standing on the rooftop along with them no doubt. The teenage girl knew that as long as she were with JACK 7 and Gigas, she was safe, assuming that Gigas knew how to protect her, of course.

Someone who had taken notice to the G Corp trio's appearance was Josie. The Philippine woman gulped as she could see Jack 7 and Gigas. "Holy smokes. These two are definitely fighters of the G Corp. Commander Kuma was right" she remarked, recalling that Kuma had recommended she enter the tournament in order report to anything suspicious to him and Heihachi. Josie couldn't say no to that, given that she knew the reward for whoever won the tournament. On the other hand, Josie felt like it was her duty to protect the Zaibatsu's interests. "But that girl who's with them. How did an otaku like her get mixed up with these brutes? Then again…have I seen here somewhere before?" Josie was in deep thought while observing the trio, especially taking notice to Chloe.

Xiaoyu was standing amongst the crowd of fighters, the Chinese girl determined to find more about what really happened to Jin during that night. For some reason, Xiaoyu had decided not to involve either Panda or Miharu in this mess. Rather, she had tasked Panda with gathering some information about Jin's whereabouts. In that way, she could be useful to her partner.

"I just need to stay focused. Whatever challenges I may face here, I must prepare for the unexpected. I'm surprised that the Zaibatsu hasn't made a move to capture me, given that I was with Jin that night. Or perhaps Heihachi has other motives" Xiaoyu noted grimly while facing her surroundings. She couldn't believe the amount of people that had actually showed up for the tournament. "And I'll admit, there are few celebrities here. I mean, I expected at least Paul to show up. But wait….he's in America….so that means he's….." Xiaoyu's thoughts were interrupted once her gaze caught the sight of a swordsman she was familiar with: Yoshimitsu.

At first, Xiaoyu froze. She had not noticed his appearance until now. The ninja only glanced over to her in return, acknowledging her with a nod before turning his focus on something else. Perhaps this was the part of preparing for the unexpected.

Yoshimitsu had his eyes on one person and one person alone: Kunimitsu. The swordsman's gaze met hers and they both had this glaring contest, despite their eyes not being exposed for each of them to see. Kunimitsu curled her lips into a smirk, the kunoichi once again demonstrating her smugness towards her former superior.

The very sight of it only agitated Yoshimitsu. "I once believed that you were destined for something great in our clan. But it seems to me that my trust in you is misplaced. However, you will never take my blade from me. Your heart is not pure, thus making you unworthy of wielding it" Yoshimitsu expressed his thoughts about Kunimitsu, whom he had once trusted greaty.

As the conversations continued between the fighters, the giant screen that was standing on the rooftop was now switched on. It showed everyone Heihachi sitting on his chair while dressed like a don. The old man smiled upon these desperate fighters.

" _Greetings, warriors across the world. I humbly welcome you all to the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. This is a message sent I am sending on-air to all contestants, to those on the Zaibatsu HQ's rooftop, those on the container ship in the Pacific Ocean and those on the cruise liner in the South China Sea. So listen as I reveal you this. The first phase of the tournament: Survival of the Fittest, starts now!"_ Heihachi declared on the screen, yet this showed everyone something. He was also sending this message to those on the ships that were headed for Japan as well. " _Even now, fighters from Eurasia and the Americas are headed towards Japan as we speak. However, if you thought there would be no fighting on the shops, you are obviously mistaken. To those in the Pacific and South China Sea: the first phase has started now. As such, you will begin battling for your very survival onboard the ship you are on. Beat your opponents to a knockout or throw them off the ship. That will disqualify them from the tournament. Those who manage to survive the journeys while still standing, will advance to the next phase of the tournament. Now for those of you who have shown up at the rooftop of my building, the rules are similar. Until those two ships reach Tokyo, you are to fight for your very own survival. Defeat your foes by knockout or throwing them off the building. Those who are still standing when the time runs out will advance to the next phase. Now you all understand the meaning behind Survival of the Fittest. Only the strongest may proceed to take on the likes of god of battle like me! Until I see you all again, a fond farewell and enjoy this battle. It will please not just me, but you as well. You will grow up to be perfect warriors. So be prepared for battle, young and old fighters. The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7…...begins now!_ " that was the declaration he made before the screen was switched off.

Now that it was done, the large crowds of fighters began cheering loudly, as they knew that the time for battle had come. Therefore, they already started those wile riots, both on the HQ's rooftop and on the ships in the oceans. Now they understood how Heihachi was planning to "diminish" the number of contestants in the tournament.

* * *

 _Somewhere below the darkness of the world_

The mysterious and secretive group of cultists calling themselves the Acolytes of Pluton, were now secretly spying on the Mishima Zaibatsu and this tournament they were having. The cultists along with their mysterious leader called Revenant was watching a digital map while showing them the names of several fighters and other persons of interests. While thousands had entered the tournament, Revenant knew the tournament wouldn't be like this. He and his followers had, through some database hacking, discovered the way it was set up in terms of elimination and proceeding.

Right now, the first phase of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 was happening in three different areas. One was held in Japan, and two were held on ships, one sailing across the Pacific Ocean and another sailing across the East China Sea. In each of these scenarios, the Zaibatsu wanted to determine which of these hundreds of fighters that had entered was worthy of continuing to the next part. Heihachi was interested in the strongest opponents, not the weak ones. Therefore, only the survivors would advance in the tournament.

The Acolytes of Pluton had placed spies in Tokyo, Los Angeles and Shanghai, thereby getting a better perspective on what kind of fighters actually entered the tournament. Revenant and his followers read the lists carefully and could see the names that they felt were persons of interest.

 _Persons of Interest in:_

 _Tokyo: Asuka Kazama, Ling Xiaoyu, Steve Fox, Christie Monteiro, Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen, Josie Rizal, Lucky Chloe Yoshimitsu, Kunimitsu, Ganryu, Gigas, JACK 7, Crow._

 _Los Angeles: Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Robert "Bob" Richards, Bryan Fury, Bo "Rodeo" Montana, Eddy Gordo, Katarina Alves, Michelle Chang, Julia Chang, Armor King, Tiger Jackson, King._

 _Shanghai: Feng Wei, Wang Jinrei, Sergei Dragunov, Zafina, Shaheen, Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort, Hwoarang, Miguel Caballero Rojo, Claudio Serafino, Nina Williams._

"Excellent work, brothers and sisters. I commend the information you have gathered for us" Revenant's metallic and deep voice could be heard praising the spies who had done their job well. "Now that the tournament has begun, we will wait in the shadows until this so-called "Survival of the Fittest" has ended. Then we will see whether some of these fighters could become potential threats to our plans in the future. But we must not forget our main targets: Heihachi Mishima and Kazuya Mishima" Revenant went on explaining, reminding everyone of their goals.

The cultists all hailed their leader in return. Whether these Acolytes of Pluton had plans on actually confronting either the Zaibatsu or the G Corp directly, had yet to be determined. Even so, as warriors would clash on the surface, the shadows would wait in the dark.

 _To be continued…_


	12. Survival of the Fittest

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: Survival of the Fittest**

 _Onboard the Zaibatsu containership, the Pacific Ocean_

The sun rose up across the lone containership sailing through the Pacific. Winds were blowing, yet the ship proceeded towards its destination: Tokyo, Japan. Having just left Los Angeles with contestants across the Americas, the Zaibatsu now wanted them over. But what all these contestants failed to understand was the fact that the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 had already begun, onboard the containership. A giant screen on the ship's bridge showed everyone Heihachi's announcement, as well as the start of tournament's first phase: Survival of the Fittest. Everyone was confused, wondering whether the CEO of the Zaibatsu was fooling them or not. Once everything was explained, they all knew that to be more than true.

" _To those in the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea: the first phase has started now. As such, you will begin battling for your very survival onboard the ship you are on. Beat your opponents to a knockout or throw them off the ship. That will disqualify them from the tournament. Those who manage to survive the journeys while still standing, will advance to the next phase of the tournament. Now for those of you who have shown up at the rooftop of my building, the rules are similar. Until those two ships reach Tokyo, you are to fight for your very own survival. Defeat your foes by knockout or throwing them off the building. Those who are still standing when the time runs out will advance to the next phase. Now you all understand the meaning behind Survival of the Fittest. Only the strongest may proceed to take on a god of battle such as me! Until I see you all again, a fond farewell and enjoy this battle. It pleases not just me, but you as well. You will grow up to be perfect warriors. So be prepared for battle, young and old fighters. The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7…...begins now!_ " that part of Heihachi's announcement was all the many contestants and fighters needed to hear before erupting into their battle frenzy.

All across the containership, various duels and brawls occurred between contestants, determined to last towards the journey's end. Blood and guts were spilled, the fighters using whatever means necessary to survive. But that was not necessarily the most shocking part. Fighters were either knocked into unconsciousness or thrown off the ship and into the sea. It was a terrible and harsh game. And the Tekken Force officers who were observing the fighting on the bridge, did nothing to help the ones overboard. Sadly, the contestants would either get drowned by the waves, or eventually become preys to sharks and orcas. In a way, this phase of the tournament was almost like a death game.

Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law were both standing together in face of this chilling announcement. They were both hiding by one of the many containers and watched as several people were getting thrown off the ship. It terrified the two of them.

"Holy shit! What kind of messed up game is this!? This sure as hell ain't nothing like the previous King of Iron Fist Tournaments!" Paul expressed his disbelief while seeing the fighters struggling to survive.

"Survival of the Fittest, huh? That would explain how so many fighters were onboard here. It was all part of the program" Marshall remarked and watched as two American fighters knocked someone who appeared to be a Canadian fighter. "Heihachi wants to know which of us is worthy of staying in the tournament. That's what this is all about" the Chinese-American fighter added to his assumption.

The two friends were stunned once they could see a familiar face deal with an opponent. It was Bryan Fury. The pale-skinned cyborg was grinning sadistically, while punching his Cuban opponent till he was weakened. He then proceeded to grab him by his throat, thus choking him. But as ruthless as Bryan was, he had no intention of killing the man. Rather, he moved over to the edge of the ship.

"Don't worry. I won't eat you" Bryan told him while grinning at the Cuban man with an evil smile. "But the sharks sure will! It's their lunchtime after all!" he exclaimed with bloodlust and threw his opponent down in the sea. The pale-skinned man proceeded to laugh like a maniac.

Both Paul and Marshall froze in seeing what was happening, and neither didn't know what to do. They kept staring at Bryan. The cyborg noticed he was being looked at and quickly looked behind him to see whether someone was there. To his surprise, he saw none.

"Hmm…...I thought I sensed someone spying on me. How strange" Bryan noted before jumping off the container to find more victims to beat up.

Marshall had dragged Paul away and they both hid between two containers. It was a tight space, yet the two friends seemed to fit.

"Damnit, Marshall. What you do that for?" Paul asked his best friend.

"Trying to avoid getting caught! Didn't you see what that Bryan-guy just did!? He just threw a contestant off the ship, for crying out loud!" Marshall replied, starting to feel slightly scared over this tournament. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm starting to regret entering this competition. I never expected to be playing this type of survival game" he then admitted to Paul.

Paul was bewildered in hearing what Marshall just told him. Therefore, he would need to wake him up from this state of his. "What are you saying, bud!? Don't tell me you have second thoughts about this! Have you forgotten the reason you entered the tournament!? Think about the dojo! Besides, you're the pure definition of a dragon, Marshall! No way you're gonna let someone like Bryan Fury scare ya!" Paul tried to remind his buddy, also berating him for these thoughts he was having.

The Chinese-American martial artist was quickly reminded about his financial difficulties back home. His best friend was right. There was no going back now. It was either the prize money or being lunch for the sharks. A fiery passion burned within the cook's mind.

"My dojo….no way I can't abandon it now! And I won't go down so easily in this tournament!" Marshall exclaimed loudly, much to Paul's own amusement.

"Atta boy. So let's get out and show these guys what we're made of! You and me, we're goin' for the gold!" the Judo fighter told his longtime friend.

Marshall chuckled in return. "You said it, pal!" he cheerfully replied.

And so, they both went out of the narrow space and started getting into fights with any hooligan they came across. They both did terrific, given that they were talented in fighting compared to their opponents.

They were not alone. Even now, Michelle and Julia Chang were also having their hands full with throngs of contestants, desperate to last on the journey. Like many others, they were also horrified by people getting thrown overboard and it made them having slight regrets on ever boarding this ship.

"This is insane! How can the Zaibatsu consider throwing contestants into the ocean a part of the game!? Clearly, Heihachi has grown more deluded over the years" Julia remarked while watching her adoptive mother deal with a couple of thugs.

Michelle only huffed once her opponents were defeated and she seemed happy for some reason. "That oughta teach you some manners! I'm not some trophy for you to ogle at!" she berated them before moving over to her adoptive daughter's side. "I swear, the only thing that's positive about this "Survival of the Fittest" is that I get to beat these perverts. Other than that, I'm stunned by how Heihachi goes to such extremes with such programs" the Native American fighter expressed her opinions of this.

"You could say that. We're stuck on a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. And there's no island in sight. At this rate, it's either us or them, mom" Julia expressed her worries.

Evens so, Michelle didn't seem so worried. "Fear not, Julia. You and I are gonna make it to Japan. The spirits are depending on us! Let's not forsake them" she reminded Julia about their reasons for entering the tournament.

Hearing that quickly convinced Julia to remain strong. "You're right. Thanks for the reminder, mom!" she told him while smiling. "Let's go and show these bozos what we're made of!" she then said, causing Michelle to giggle.

"Well said, Julia" she told him and the Chang-duo were ready for more action.

But as they were about to go and search for more opponents to fight against, the Chang-duo was met by Paul and Marshall, the two friends having run across the containers to find someone to beat up. Michelle started to immediately recognize them.

"Hold the phone. Marshall Law and Paul Phoenix? Is that really you?" she asked them, surprised to see her fellow competitors from the two first King of Iron Fist Tournaments.

Julia was taken aback by this. "Wait. Do you know these clowns?" she asked her adoptive mother.

Michelle nodded her head happily. "Why, of course! Me and them were contestants in the first and second King of Iron Fist Tournaments" she told Julia, who was slightly surprised to hear this.

But Paul was not following this quite well. "Huh? Sorry, lady. But you got me confused here. And how the heck do you know our names, anyway?" Paul questioned her, before looking over at Julia. "And you, haven't I seen you somewhere before, girly?" he asked the young girl.

"My name is not girly! It's Julia Chang! Get it right" Julia berated him.

Marshall only facepalmed in seeing Paul's lack of memory. "Seriously, Paul. Have you grown that old to not remember other contestants? And that woman over there…...she's…Michelle Chang…WAIT HOLD ON! MICHELLE CHANG AND JULIA CHANG!? THIS IS SO CONFUSING! ARE YOU TWO…." Marshall was getting a little surprised and distracted at the same time.

Michelle giggled and reached around Julia and held her left shoulder. "I know. Julia is actually my daughter. Even though we're not related to one another by blood, I have fully adopted her as if she is my daughter. She is also a proud member of our tribe" she began explaining the details.

Both Marshall and Paul did not see that coming, and they were surprised to see that Michelle was actually an adoptive mother to Julia. It stunned them completely.

"Oh, I see. So, you've raised a youngster too, eh? I know how that feels like, given that I have my son Forrest" Marshall remarked while chuckling nervously.

"Are you two still doing those scams of yours?" Michelle questioned the two friends, who were surprised that she still remembered them for it. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if you were, given that you two have been partners-in-crime before" the brunette added.

Paul only raised an eyebrow at her in question. "Scams? Partners-in-crime? What the hell is that supposed to mean? Those are Marshall's things. I'm not so undignified that I need to resort to those type of measures! You forget, I defeated Ogre!" the Judo fighter exclaimed himself out of pride.

Julia only stared at him flatly. "In his normal form, yes. But in his true form, no. That honor belongs to Jin Kazama" she corrected him, causing Paul to glare at her in an offended way. "Besides, you have grown sillier over the years, Paul" she added.

Before Paul could open his mouth to retort back, Marshall stepped in. "Hold it! Just what are we doing, exactly? This is a fight for our very own survival! We're not here to chat and relive the good, ol' times and stuff!" the Chinese-American man said and stood in his fighting stance. "It's true that I have done things I'm not proud of in the past! But the new me is not that guy anymore! He's not just a hard-working father and husband, but also a fighter with the soul of a dragon on the inside!" Marshall assured them, trying to boost his own morale.

Paul was surprised to see how quickly Marshall had regained his fighting spirit. But that was only good for him. He stood in his fighting stance as well, facing the two ladies. "My pal here speaks the truth! We're here to proceed to the tournament's next round, and we ain't planning on letting you girls ruin our chances!" the American Judo fighter exclaimed.

The Chang-duo was surprised in seeing these men challenging them. But while Julia was less than enthusiastic about fighting them, Michelle had a completely different take on this challenge. She was excited. Julia rolled her eyes when she realized what her adoptive mother thought.

"Great, we just had to be challenged by the most annoying men onboard this ship" Julia thought, yet she readied her fighting stance. "Alright, mom. It seems that we have to fight these guys. Are you ready?" she asked her adoptive mother.

"I sure am! Let's show them what we're made of, Julia!" Michelle exclaimed and faced the two men. "I've been looking forward to fight worthy opponents. Let's hope your fighting skills are not as rusty as your senses of humor" she told the two men.

Paul and Marshall only ignored her comment, getting ready for a showdown with these two ladies. While the Chang-duo wasn't as challenging as Bryan and Armor King, the two friends knew that they were NOT to be underestimated.

Standing on top of a container, Bo "Rodeo" Montana was seeing so many things happening below him. It was chaos. The US soldier head dealt with a couple of Mexican fighters who wanted to attack him from behind. They were no match for his strength. Rodeo was not to be underestimated. He looked at his communication device.

"It will be difficult for me to speak to HQ from now on. But I'll try make the best out of it" Rodeo empathized, before blocking an attack coming from the right. It was a Jamaican fighter who did this to him. Still, Rodeo managed to punch him, thus sending off the container. The US soldier only glanced at his opponent laid there unconscious. "Couldn't you see that I was busy? You have all but yourself to blame for this" he berated the fighter before moving on to a new location.

Rodeo hoped to find a spot where he could see the events taking place below. However, he was forced to deal with combatants who wanted to test their mettle in strength upon him. But none of them were a match for the US soldier.

"Tch...what a bunch of senseless wackos. Can't believe they wanted to embarrass themselves in this manner" Rodeo exclaimed in slight boredom of what he had to deal with. He climbed up on a container and observed if there were some worthy opponents to deal with. The soldier whistled in amazement in what he was seeing. "Woah…..it turns out there are some people who's got guts of steel" he remarked while observing the fighters that he thought were holding on their own.

The fat fighter named Robert "Bob" Richards was constantly being targeted, due to the combatants viewing his weight as a weakness. Therefore, they first assumed Bob was going down easy. Unfortunately for them, that wasn't the case. They foolishly underestimated Bob's agility and fighting prowess.

Bob was taking on a large American fighter, and he was winning. "Speed and…" Bob exclaimed and as the fighter fell onto his back, the blonde-haired man jumped into the air, and performed a diving attack on him. "WEIGHT!" the chubby man finished his famous catchphrase while delivering the final attack. His opponent was knocked out and finished as a result.

Standing tall and proud, Bob looked beneath him and see two other fighters standing on a container. They had both witnessed his fighting skills and were actually afraid of taking on him. As a matter of fact, they attempted to run away. But Bob was not gonna let them get away so easily. He smirked and jumped off the container, thus performing a ball attack on the two men. Given his round size, such attack worked well to Bob's advantage. Both fighters were out and Bob felt confident over this victory.

"Now this will make you regret not taking me seriously!" Bob exclaimed before proceeding to find more opponents to beat up. "This is getting more fun by the minute! Hopefully, I'll make it through!" he added to his excitement.

But as Bob moved on, he continued to hear someone laugh sadistically. The blonde-haired man could see someone land on a container not far from his location. It was Bryan, the psychotic man grinning down at him, as if Bob was some kind of prey to him. In Bryan's mindset, he was.

"You got some survival skills, despite being a pathetic fatass" Bryan rudely remarked, having watched Bob taking out some fighters earlier.

While Bob did not welcome the pale-skinned man's comment on him, he simply brushed it off as if it was nothing. In fact, Bob mused to himself in what he was hearing Bryan say about him.

"So you think I've got some survival skills, huh? Then you might as well rephrase that comment about me being pathetic. You know the old saying: looks can be deceiving" Bob replied to the cyborg.

Bryan only snorted in return. "I don't buy into those crappy gimmicks. They mean nothing to me" he muttered, yet he focused his eyes upon Bob, indicating that he had plans for the blonde-haired man. "But then again, I can't help but to wonder whether the sharks and the orcas would be happy if I threw you overboard this ship!" Bryan expressed his sadistic ideas.

Bob narrowed his eyes. "You plan on making me seafood? Hmm. Sorry, but I don't like that idea. I personally prefer to be the one being fed" he said and readied his fighting stance, forming a smirk as he faced up to Bryan. "Besides, who ever said of you being capable of getting me off this scrapheap? I mean, you can certainly try, but I doubt you'll succeed" Bob tried to get under Bryan's skin.

The pale-skinned man jumped down so that he stood on the same container Bob was. He glared at the chubby man with nothing but killing intent. Even so, Bob was far from intimidated by it.

"You better have life insurance on ya. Because you're gonna need it once I'm done with you!" Bryan said and prepared to attack his opponent.

"Why don't you come and give it a try!?" Bob taunted back and the two fighters were starting their duel on the container.

Meanwhile, Eddy Gordo was holding on his own against a swarm of fighters, all thanks to his skills in Capoeira. He wasn't alone. Not far from his location, Tiger Jackson was also demonstrating his moves. This made the Brazilian man wonder whether they could become competitors in the art of Capoeira. It was funny how Tiger was winning against his opponents, given his groovy, yet ridiculous style of clothing.

"That guy seems to hold on his own so far. I'll give him points for that. His odd style of clothes betrays his talents in Capoeira" Eddy noted, before kicking away charging thugs, who were after his hide. But it didn't take long before Eddy managed to Katarina Alves, the Brazilian woman she had briefly clashed with due to her doing Kazuya's dirty work in hunting him and his team. But Eddy realized that things were different now. "No. There's no way she will be coming after my hide now. That's all in the past. And besides, there are scarier fighters who I need to watch out for. Or is she perhaps a worthy foe?" the man with dreadlocks said to himself, before he got surrounded by enemies once again.

Katarina was having the time of her life in beating these punks. The sassy woman surprised every opponent she came across with her talented skills in Savate. It was funny, given that they thought she was nothing but a spoiled diva who had joined the wrong competition.

The brunette landed a powerful kick towards a Venezuelan fighter that was near her, thus sending him off the ship. Katarina took pleasure in seeing her opponents getting beaten, as well as some fleeing from her in terror.

"Hah! Run back to your mamas, bastardos! The only sanctuary you have here is the ocean. Maybe you would prefer being the sharks' food than being my punching bags!" Katarina spoke up, her language as foul as usual.

The Brazilian woman soon took notice of Eddy finishing his opponents. Their eyes soon met one another. While Eddy's eyes narrowed coldly at her, Katarina licked her lips with satisfaction. They faced one another, with Katarina speaking up first.

"Hey there, tough-guy. Doing great, so far" the brunette told him.

"You're one of Kazuya Mishima's mercenaries!" Eddy muttered angrily.

Katarina only flossed her hair as to scoff at his statement. "Don't get your pants in a twist, burro. From now on, I'm my own boss now" she told him, yet Katarina formed a cunning smile in the process. "Speaking of which, I take it you no longer serve the Mishima Zaibatsu anymore. How has life been since we last met?" Katarina then questioned him smugly.

Eddy slowly gritted his teeth in return. "That's none of your damned business! And don't speak as if you and I are friends! You know that's bullshit!" he hissed at her.

Still, Katarina was far from intimidated by this man's aggressiveness. "Tch. You're not scaring me so easily with this hissy fit of yours! I've beaten plenty of bad-tempered men such as you back in Rio de Janeiro. And as far as I'm concerned, your Capoeira lacks efficiency" she told him in return, as a means of taunting Eddy.

"Lack of efficiency!? You got come guts saying that in front of me! I was trained by the best Capoeira master to have ever lived! And I guess what could actually be said for lack of efficiency…is your Savate!" the man with dreadlocks hit back.

This time, it was Katarina's turn to be agitated. "Careful what you say, babaca! As a matter of fact, how about I just show you how efficient my Savate is!?" the young woman said and charged straight towards the Capoeira fighter, who was already on the move. "Suck on this!" Katarina exclaimed as he delivered a flying kick straight towards Eddy.

Eddy dodged Katarina's attack and proceeded to move against his opponent, but the young woman caught wind of him. And thus, their fight was on. Who would win between these two Brazilians was yet to be seen.

Not far from her location, many were trying to overpower two wrestlers: King and Armor King. But these reckless fighters were no match for either of them. The wrestlers were perfectly able to take on a group of common bandits. But as soon as they were done with their fair share of opponents, both King and Armor King turned their attentions towards one another. There existed nothing but silence between the two masked men.

"I didn't have to end this way. But given that you are too stubborn to be reasoned with, you leave me no choice. It's time to settle this, once and for all" King spoke to Armor King, his voice hinting to the level of regret he carried in having to battle the younger brother of his deceased mentor.

Armor King only growled beneath his mask. "You said I was a man of no honor, yet there are plenty of times I could've killed you while you were asleep" he reminded him before standing in his fighting stance. "But no. I want to end you in the old-fashioned way. And here we are, sailing in the middle of the Pacific with nowhere else to run" the man in the back jaguar mask added to his explanation.

"All the more reason to have this duel!" King said and prepared his fighting stance. "Just so we're clear, I won't go any easier on you. Expect no quarter from me!" he added.

"The felling is mutual!" Armor King hit back and proceeded to charge towards King. "Yo soy tu muerte!" he then roared at him in Spanish.

The two professional wrestlers were at it, trying to overpower the other. Eventually, Armor King succeeded in lifting King up in the air, before throwing him at a nearby container. King could feel the pain in his back, yet the Mexican man got up quickly and proceed to launch himself at his opponent, thus pinning Armor King down on the deck. Still, Armor King kicked King in the stomach and got up in hopes of tackling him to the deck. He was unsuccessful and it left them both trying to overpower the other.

"When I'm done with you, you will regret not killing that murderous beast Marduk when you had the chance!" the man in the black jaguar mask roared, once again demonstrating his enmity towards King's best friend.

In hearing this, King's anger slowly started to take control over him. But he didn't let the emotions dictate what to do. In fact, he knew what to say in reply to Armor King's harsh words. "Sprout out all the nonsense you want, they won't bring you any closer in besting me, let alone honoring your older brother's memory!" King hit back, thus bringing full anger to his opponent. Now, it was he who was letting his emotions get taken over.

From the containership's bridge, the soldiers of the Tekken Force stood and watched as fighters were thrown off the ship or knocked out into unconsciousness, one by one. To them, this was pure entertainment. It was like watching gladiator fights from the Roman Empire, minus the weapons and killings, of course.

"Damn. The boss has really put this entire crowd to their life's tests. It amazes me how he can come up with such ideas" one of the soldiers said while observing the fight.

"Good thing we're from this carnage. And coupled with the fact that doors to the bridge are tightly secured. That will help these guys realize they will receive no comfort nor help from us" another one spoke up as he was sitting on a chair.

"But how can we be sure that somebody makes it to the next phase? Tokyo's still far, far away from where we are now. The Pacific Ocean is one hell of a "sea continent". I don't know what you guys think, but I fear something is bound to get ugly on this journey" one of the soldiers who was steering the containership noted, his gaze fixed upon the horizon. But soon, he noticed something in the clouds. Despite wearing a helmet, the soldier could see clearly in the distance. "What in the hell…what's over there?" he wondered while asking his colleagues.

The soldiers who was sitting by the radars tried to understand what it was. They soon caught wind of something and it worried them all.

"Shit…..we detect a huge activity happening before us…..that only means one thing….." one of the navigators said as he read the radar.

"There's a storm coming…fuck!" another navigator cursed in what he and his comrades had found out.

"What do we do now!? Shouldn't we turn around and get away as far as we can?" a soldier asked, starting to feel very uncomfortable at the moment.

A comrade of his only scoffed at him. "Have you lost your mind? We can't turn around and sail back to the US. If the boss finds out, he will drown us all to our deaths!" he berated him while explaining the consequences.

The Tekken Force soldiers were all in slight disarray. There was a storm coming towards the containership. And a storm would mean a harsh weather on the sea, which included endless raining, strong winds and giant waves! As the soldiers pondered about whether they should turn around, they eventually decided to contact Heihachi and see what he suggested. As soon as they told him about the incoming storm, Heihachi sounded pleased on the line.

"What d-do you mean, sir?" one of the soldiers asked Heihachi on the screen. "Are you s-suggesting that we head straight for the storm?" he added with another question.

The elderly man grinned. " _You heard me! Sail straight into the storms! Don't turn back! It's only way to Japan. I expect you as proud members of the Tekken Force not to stain the Mishima Zaibatsu with such cowardice!_ " he told through the screen, but Heihachi seemed to have more reasons for saying such words. " _And it's only great that a storm has arrived! Every fighter onboard the ship will be challenged! Their tests will be a matter of life or death! So head straight towards the storm! If I see the containership heading back towards the United States, I will make sure all of you drown with it to the depths! Such is my will!_ " those were the words Heihachi gave to his subordinates.

After it was done, the soldiers were left to reflect on what they just heard. "What did I tell you? Sail straight into the storm! Come on, it's either that or the boss giving a watery grave to each and every one of us" one of the navigators encouraged his comrades.

The soldiers, knowing better than to cross their CEO, did as the navigator commanded. As such, they sat sail straight towards the darkening clouds. Now, things were bound to get ugly. However, as long as they stayed inside the bridge, they would be fine. The same thing couldn't be said for the army of fighters battling each other across the containership.

Due to the continued onslaught amongst themselves, most fighters were too distracted to even notice the skies above them changing. However, Rodeo was wise enough to catch wind of it. Having beaten up a couple of American thugs who sought to best him, Rodeo climbed up to till he stood on top of the containers. From there, he could see everything perfectly, especially the air and ocean. Things were not looking pretty.

"Holy hell…everything else above is covered by these darkening clouds…..it's like we have no choice but to go through" Rodeo remarked as he noticed the winds starting to blow stronger. Not only that, he could hear rumbling in the clouds, given that the containership was sailing right underneath them. Rodeo turned around to face the bridge where the Tekken Force soldiers were being comfy in face of the incoming storm. "Those bastards…THEY'LL BE STUCK INSIDE THE BRIDGE WHILE WE DEAL WITH THE HARSH WEATHER!" he spat out in anger.

But Rodeo's frustration slightly increased one he could hear lighting strike in the ocean near the containership. The lighting strike was loud enough to get every fighter's attention. They felt the rain pouring upon them endlessly, as well as the containership moving out of balance due to the large waves heading towards it. Given that Rodeo stood on top of a container, he could see that a large wave was headed towards the ship. As such, the ship was forced to go ahead against it, causing a large splash to appear at it's front. The US soldier immediately jumped down to avoid getting soaked. As he stood in the middle between lines of containers, Rodeo did get a little wet thanks to the drop of water that came from the wave. But it was not over, as the containership immediately began slamming itself on the ocean, thus creating a huge splash of water once again.

"Damnit! I guess this must be the true meaning of "Survival of the Fittest". I don't know how long this storm's gonna last, but I can't get myself thrown off the ship!" Rodeo said to himself, not forgetting what his objectives were. But even now, he could see how many of the contestants were struggling with adopting to this harsh weather. On the other hand, it only confirmed something to Rodeo. "I guess Heihachi Mishima, like Charles Darwin before him, is right about one thing: only the strongest and the fittest may survive" the US soldier noted in his thoughts.

But unbeknownst to those on the containership, a huge rogue wave was heading towards them from their left. But due to the stormy weather, it was impossible for them to take notice of it's coming.

* * *

 _Onboard the Mishima cruise ship, the South China Sea_

In the middle of the South China Sea, the cruise ship used to transport fighters from Eurasia to Japan was also experiencing a new day. The contestants got out of their cabins and headed to the place where breakfast was served. At first, everything seemed perfectly normal, given that it was a nice day outside. Some of the contestants had hoped to use this trip across the sea to benefit the services offered on the cruise ship. However, a direct message from Heihachi Mishima himself completely made that possibility a dream. On televisions across the ship, Heihachi gave them the announcement that would set the contestants against each other.

" _To those in the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea: the first phase has started now. As such, you will begin battling for your very survival onboard the ship you are on. Beat your opponents to a knockout or throw them off the ship. That will disqualify them from the tournament. Those who manage to survive the journeys while still standing, will advance to the next phase of the tournament. Now for those of you who have shown up at the rooftop of my building, the rules are similar. Until those two ships reach Tokyo, you are to fight for your very own survival. Defeat your foes by knockout or throwing them off the building. Those who are still standing when the time runs out will advance to the next phase. Now you all understand the meaning behind Survival of the Fittest. Only the strongest may proceed to take on a god of battle such as me! Until I see you all again, a fond farewell and enjoy this battle. It pleases not just me, but you as well. You will grow up to be perfect warriors. So be prepared for battle, young and old fighters. The King of Iron Fist Tournament 7…...begins now!_ " that part of Heihachi's announcement sent them into a frenzy.

In every room on the cruise ship, vicious brawls and battles took place between fighters alike. It was quite a chaos, as they used whatever means to survive this phase. And similar with the contestants stuck on the containership in the Pacific, the contestants on the South China Sea also threw people overboard, mostly those who were fighting outside the rooms and by the cruise ship's pool area.

This only practice shocked some contestants, among them the Chinese fighter named Wang Jinrei. He couldn't believe his own eyes as he was observing the fighting in what appeared to be a spa. "This is just preposterous. Have you really fallen that far, Heihachi Mishima?" the elderly man wondered as he observed fighters beating each other to a pulp. He could see people laying unconscious on the floor, as well as some being thrown out the windows of the ship. It pained Wang to see all this senseless violence. "I can see clearly how this rule has only galvanized these young souls. They are desperate to last until this ship reaches Tokyo" Wang remarked, as he dodged a punch coming from a young Chinese man who wanted to attack him. He then exited the spa and walked through a long corridor.

True, Wang had constantly been targeted by many fighters since Heihachi's declaration. They thought he was easy prey given his elderly age. However, they were foolishly underestimating Wang, as he easily outmaneuvered these young and repulsive combatants.

"Have I entered something that I will regret? I hope not. Nevertheless, I will not forsake your plea….Kazumi" Wang then thought about the day Kazumi had appeared before him and pleaded for his help in ending this global conflict. Even Wang himself had wondered why she had come to him instead of others. But in the last few days since that vision, Wang had learned more about the Mishimas in general.

The Chinese man reached the end of the corridor and he entered the cruise ship's main hall, which had many terraces and, as well as being the place where shows and other forms of entertainment took place. But now, it was a nothing but a place of brawling. Wang stood and watched the events that took beneath him.

The Irish assassin named Nina Williams was having her hands full with a couple of English blokes. But she managed to take them out easily. She only looked at her defeated opponents in disgust. It was ironic that she was being dressed as a bride while taking out these thugs.

"Hmm…..pathetic. Just utterly pathetic" Nina remarked in what she was seeing.

"Oye, perra rubia!" Nina was interrupted by someone swearing at her in Spanish. She looked over her shoulder to see who it was that had taken such tone with her. It was the Spanish brawler: Miguel Caballero Rojo. Right now, he was glaring at Nina with nothing but contempt in his eyes. "Don't think I don't recognize you! I know who you are! You're that woman who aided Jin Kazama with escaping from me!" Miguel angrily told her, still recalling what she had done.

Nina only shrugged off his attempt to intimidate her. "So what? It was my job and I only did it to earn a living. We all have to make ends meet" she said in reply. "Speaking of which, are you still on Kazuya's payroll? Or have you finally managed to find a better career for someone as stupid as you?" Nina began asking Miguel, trying to throw a jab at him in the process.

The Spaniard's anger grew in hearing Nina's taunt. "You better take back what you just said! My reasons for hunting down Jin was only for my own good!" Miguel snapped. "Now spit it out! Where is he? Where the hell is Jin Kazama!?" he then demanded a question out of him.

"I'm under no obligation to answer an impulsive buffoon like you! And for the record, I'm done with the Zaibatsu. So unless you want me to break your neck, take your whining somewhere else" Nina coldly told Miguel to back off, seemingly not interested in dealing with the Spaniard's antics.

"You fucking whore…" Miguel uttered out, his knuckles cracking with punching intent. "NOBODY TALKS TO ME LIKE THAT! I'M GONNA BUST YOU OPEN LIKE A PIÑATA!" he exclaimed and charged straight towards the blonde-haired woman.

Despite seeing him angry, Nina was far from intimidated by this raging bull. She quickly avoided Miguel's punch by jumping above him and perfectly landing on her feet. But Miguel quickly turned around and got ready for Nina's attack.

"This should be fun" Nina told herself, interesting in testing Miguel's strength.

Not far from where they fought, Shaheen was being challenged by Hwoarang. The young Korean smirked cockily, yet Shaheen faced him with nothing but a deep frown and eyes of displeasure. The Saudi Arabian man still recalled Hwoarang's behavior during his stay in Souq.

"I see. So you went against your master's wishes and entered the tournament? It seems to me that he was right. You have no respect for your elders, boy" Shaheen expressed his opinion of Hwoarang's decision.

Hwoarang only scoffed at Shaheen's words. "Listen, buddy. You haven't known Master Baek as much as I have, so you have no right to judge me!" he told him while cracking his knuckles. The Korean man then stood in his fighting stance. "You still think I'm a naïve boy? Then how about I prove you wrong by winning against you!? That oughta change your mind!" Hwoarang then dared him.

Shaheen narrowed his eyes. "You are not naïve, Hwoarang. Repulsive may be the word you are looking after" he told the young man and readied himself for combat. "Which leads me to say this. I shall teach you an important lesson about a thing every fighter has…..humility" Shaheen added strictly.

Hwoarang was growing tired of all this talk. "Yeah, yeah. Shut up, already! I've been told that plenty of times in the past! So let's just get on with this fight! It's time to show you what I'm made of!" the auburn-haired man exclaimed and he began kicking repeatedly at his opponent.

While Hwoarang's kicks were fast, Shaheen was still no inexperienced fighter. He managed to predict the young Korean's moves and proceeded to attack back. As such, it was quite a duel between these two men.

Not far from their location, Zafina was challenging Claudio Serafino to a fight. The Italian exorcist seemed more than happy to oblige. He wanted to know more about Zafina's skills. The Egyptian woman in return wanted to know more about Claudio's. Therefore, it was only logical that they would get to fight one another amidst this brawling.

"You wish to take on me, Zafina? I salute your bravery but fighting me is not for amateurs. Surely you realize that" Claudio told the young woman while getting ready to fight her.

Zafina narrowed her eyes in a deadly manner, although she bore no killing intent. "I am no amateur, Claudio Serafino. As such, I am not the type of woman to underestimate my foes, especially someone so mysterious as you. Even to this day, I still can't figure out whether you are friend or foe" she admitted warily.

Still, Claudio didn't take her words personally, nor did he even care for that matter. "Your words flatter me, signora. I can also sympathize with your slight discomfort with my abilities" he told smugly, and the exorcist activated his mysterious power, causing his left eye to change, as well as markings appearing on his left cheek. "After all, I am not the leader of the Archers of Sirius for nothing. Sometimes, powers are required if you wish to fight for a good cause. And all powers have their own prize" Claudio went on explaining everything in detail.

For some reason, Zafina was beginning to grow more suspicious of Claudio, given this strange ability of his. For some reason, it almost reminded her of the Devil Gene. But was that really the case with Claudio? The purple-haired woman doubted that, as there had to be some other form of explanation. Then again, Zafina knew very little about Claudio, let alone the Archers of Sirius for that matter.

"Very well. Then do your worst, exorcist" Zafina coldly told her opponent and they were now at each other in this duel.

While they started fighting, a duel was about to commence between Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort and Sergei Dragunov. Having defeated foes that dared attack them, they now set their eyes upon each other. They both knew each other from before, with Dragunov having attended Lili's "birthday party" at the Rochefort Mansion.

"I see that you have chosen to enter this tournament. Strange, aren't you the typical silent type who never socializes? I could see that based upon your behavior at my birthday party. Your participation only defies logic" Lili remarked while facing the Russian man. So far, Dragunov had not opened his mouth, remaining empty and cold in face of the young girl. "You are choosing to remain mute to me, so we can skip the monologue. Either way, I will make it through this journey and reach Tokyo. And I don't plan on letting you stop me!" the blondie exclaimed and suddenly ran straight towards her opponent.

But as Lili was trying to land a kick on him from above, Dragunov managed to block it with his arms. He then got into his fighting position, forcing Lili to back away before he could mount a strike upon her. The calm-mannered man faced Lili with little enthusiasm, indicating that he didn't consider Lili a worthy opponent.

"Now I understand. This fighting style of yours….it's Sambo, isn't it? And from the look on your face…...it would appear that you don't think of me as a worthy opponent. How rude!" the young girl told him with a huff. Eventually, Lili smiled smugly at the Russian soldier. "But it matters not. I'll earn your respect by demonstrating my moves upon you. I can't wait to hear what your real voice is!" she expressed her joy in having an opponent such as Dragunov, even though he was not much of a talker.

From the looks of it, Dragunov could tell that his opponent was not just a chatty and snotty girl, but also the kind of fighter who was too boastful to understand what her limits were. Either way, he hoped that Lili would learn a thing or two in this fight, as he wouldn't go easy on her because of opposite gender. Such things were irrelevant when it came to fighting opponents.

Having observed what he needed to see, Wang decided to join in the fray. He took out some opponents that were trying to get him. They were nothing more than nuisances. However, the elderly man soon noticed a couple of defeated warriors lying on the floor. And of course, it hadn't been his doing. No, it was the work of someone else. Wang looked to see a young Chinese man with his hair tied into a long, but thin ponytail. His eyes almost reminded him of a dragon.

The young man's eyes met Wang's. There was nothing but a brief silence between the two of them. Surprisingly, Wang recognized this man. It was Feng Wei, the Chinese Kenpo master, who had battled dojos across China and Japan in order to become stronger.

"Oh…..it is you…..the young dragon" Wang spoke up lowly in slight surprise in seeing Feng standing there.

To the elderly man's wonder, Feng immediately gave him a formal bow, the same kind of bow that young fighters did towards their masters.

"Master Wang Jinrei….it is an honor to finally meet you once again….." Feng spoke up with the uttermost respect towards the elderly man. "I never would have thought of seeing you entering the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7….it surprised me…" the Chinese man added to his slight disbelief.

A smile crept beneath Wang's white beard. "When the world is in such disarray, one cannot simply sit and wait for it to be over. That is why I must enter the tournament to stop this injustice caused by the global war" Wang told Feng, yet he felt like knowing more about the Kenpo fighter's motives. "Tell me something, Feng Wei. What are you reasons for entering this tournament? Is it power you desire?" the elderly man asked him.

"Power is everything that matters, old one. To become masters of combat, once can't become a powerless fool without any ambitions. Those are what keeps me from reaching that goal" Feng told him and suddenly readied his fighting stance. "Now answer me this! Have you come here to judge people like me? Do you still hold a grudge against me for all the wrongdoings I have done?" he coldly asked Wang, being willing to challenge someone as powerful as Wang.

The elderly man's eyes narrowed slightly in what he was hearing. "I have not entered this tournament to judge you, Feng Wei. I have entered it to answer a call for help. As misguided as your quest for power is, I have no time for blind vengeance" Wang answered plainly, getting ready to battle the young man. "And let me tell you something, young one. Why I am willing to fight you now, is not because I seek justice for your deceased master. Your master was a wise man, one who understood the importance of honor and humility. He carried those when he accepted your challenge" he then brought up a subject that would usually make Feng very angry.

Surprisingly, Feng's angry eyes softened in what he heard Wang tell him. He even lowered his guard, yet he didn't end the fighting stance. Apparently, the old man's words had affected Feng in a special way.

"Indeed. When your master accepted this challenge, he knew what he was doing in fighting you. Even though he lost, he faced you and went down with dignity and honor, something only a true fighter does. Therefore, it is safe to assume he knew he would die at your hands. As such, he has my deepest respect" Wang went on explaining what he knew about the legendary Kenpo master, who had taught Feng and other young souls about the art of Chinese Kenpo.

After hearing these words, a sense of relief could be felt within Feng. In reality, almost everyone he had encountered on his journeys had named Feng a murderer due to killing his own master. But Wang Jinrei was probably the first one who never saw him as the evil dragon he was made out to be in the news channels. But still, this didn't mean that Wang condoned Feng attacking dojo masters across the Orient.

Regardless, Feng found himself bowing towards the elderly man in respect once again. "I see. So you will not judge me? Then I must thank you, revered laoshi. I thank you for realizing the truth about that fateful day" the Kenpo fighter said and got into his fighting stance once again. "That being said, I suppose we should get this fighting started" he added while facing the elderly man.

Wang completely understood that the young man was challenging him. There was no way he could turn down a challenge from someone like Feng. As such, Wang got himself ready.

"Very well. Do your best then, young one" Wang told his opponent, and they both clashed against each other.

The fights continued throughout the cruise ship, and the contestants seemed to enjoy it in the least. But the ones who truly did were the Tekken Force officers stationed on the ship's bridge. Due to the numerous cameras that was placed in every hall and corridor of the ship, they could watch the action and violence from the control room. It amused them. But then again, they also controlled everything that took place on the ship, as well as steering it to the right direction.

But suddenly, one of the soldiers who was holding a pair of binoculars discovered something that sent him a shive in his spine. Apparently, he had managed to see something out in the ocean. And it seemed to be far away from where the ship currently found itself in. Even so, he decided to let his comrades know about this.

"Everyone! Come take a look! I discovered something in the ocean!" he told his nearest comrades and they all got to where he was standing and observing. They were even given his binoculars to see what he caught sight off.

"My god….what the hell is that!?" a navigator asked as he dropped the binoculars onto the floor.

Another soldier began observing the radars and it did not look pretty. "This doesn't look good! There's a huge rouge wave heading towards the ship! Just look on the radar!" he cried out in desperation.

It turned out to be the truth. Far from where the ship was sailing, an imposing wall of water could be seen gathering strength. Now, it was headed towards them from the ship's right side. The Tekken Force officers were getting incredibly uneasy as the wave began nearing.

"But this doesn't make any sense! How can something like this happen!? We're only sailing in the South China Sea!" a soldier angrily exclaimed.

"You wonder why!? There the winds are blowing more powerful outside! It's almost like a hurricane or a typhoon! No wonder the seas are out of control!" a soldier, who was presumed to be the leader berated his subordinates.

"It's best if we try to steer the ship so that it can take the wave-bow first! Do it now!" one of the navigators called out to everyone in the control room.

As such, they began steering the cruise ship, in hopes of preventing it from getting capsized by the rogue wave. However, they didn't bother tell this to everyone onboard the ship. In fact, the contestants themselves began to realize this. Those who were fighting outside the halls and along the cruise ship's terraces were treated for a terrifying view of the enormous wall of water heading towards them. Most of them screamed in terror and quickly started evacuating the ship. But they were in the middle of the sea. Therefore, they would have to take a lifeboat and do whatever it was required to put them on the ocean.

Because of the spectacle happening outside, the fighters inside the ship were notified of the incoming rogue wave as well. What would happen next was yet to be seen.

* * *

 _Inside the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

Heihachi Mishima was sitting in his office and watched on his computer from what he could see onboard each of the ships heading towards Japan. Right now, he understood they were in serious trouble and braving dangerous seas, especially rogue waves. The old man had encouraged both crews to continue on their seafaring, even when facing these stormy weathers.

However, the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu was actually pleased to hear about these ships being in danger. It only made it more encouraging to think about what fighters that had so willingly entered the tournament. He knew so many people were onboard, yet not everyone would make it through to the next phase.

Laughing deeply in seeing the fighters struggling onboard the ship, Heihachi took his time before speaking up. "This is it, foolish nincompoops! This is what it means to be a survivor! To stand tall and brave everything, even the stormy seas! That is all part of Survival of the Fittest!" he exclaimed while grinning to himself. Heihachi then refocused his attention on the computer's screen. "Now there is some question that remains to be answered. Who will exactly make it to Japan in one piece? I know that not everyone is lucky to enough to accomplish that. But I want to know which of these fighters are worthy of proceeding to the next round. If they can survive the seas and make it here, then they have my full respect!" Heihachi added to his twisted sense of recognition.

The old man soon clicked on his computer, so that is showed him cameras filming the rumble taking place on the HQ's rooftop. While the fighters above him wouldn't have to worry about the seas, he was also curious to know who would manage to last in this in this battle that had about over hundred people fighting for survival. The very thought only made it more tempting to find out.

"And as for these simpletons. Let's see if they can manage to stand their ground until the others have arrived from the seas. I can't wait to see what this brings!" Heihcahi was getting more interested in toying with these contestants. The moment they either boarded the ships docked at Los Angeles and Shanghai or entered his building to fight on the rooftops, they were his to exploit with to his own amusement. It was a sick and twisted sense of fun for him.

 _To be continued…_


	13. Demons Among Us

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Demons Among Us**

 _Somewhere in an abandoned facility, Kyoto, Japan_

Lee Chaolan, CEO of Violet Systems, had made good on his promise to the android named Alisa Bosconovitch. She had desperately wanted to meet the man she fought alongside with a long time ago. Having gotten to Japan after fleeing from the Tekken Force on the Bahamas, Lee felt it was the right time for him to meet with someone he had been having contact with since the end of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 6. And so, he had taken Alisa with him.

Currently, the silver-haired business tycoon and the pink-haired girl found themselves wandering through what appeared to be an abandoned facility somewhere in Kyoto. As such, Alisa was beginning to grow concerned, given the atmosphere of this place.

"Are you sure we'll find Lars in a place like this?" Alisa asked, the android looking around the giant fans that were spinning around.

"Trust me. I provide facilities like this to defectors of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Someone has to give them shelter from their twisted ex-employer. The good thing is that only I alone am aware of the locations of these facilities" Lee answered Alisa, trying to assure her that they were on the right track.

Alisa nodded her head weakly in return, signifying her confidence in Lee. But as they walking through the long corridor but stopped once someone could be heard talking straight to Lee. This person had been hiding in the corridor and waited for them to walk past him. He then made his move.

"Hold it" a firm voice could be heard behind the two. A handgun was pointed directly at the back of Lee's head. But instead of screaming in fear, Lee slowly put his hands in the air, even musing to himself while doing that. "Stay where you are and don't move" the voice added, yet Lee was far from scared.

"Goodness. Is this how you treat an advocate, Lars? You should learn to be more cordial" Lee spoke up while looking over his shoulder to face the man who was holding the handgun against him.

It was Lars Alexandersson, the leader of the Tekken Force rebels, as well as Heihachi Mishima's illegitimate son. The spikey-haired man was dressed in a different attire, which was similar to his previous one, only with different colors and a red cape running along his back. As soon as Lars knew who that man was, he lowered his gun.

"Lee? You're here. Even so, it doesn't hurt to be careful, does it? Being anti-Mishima in the public is very dangerous these days" Lars remarked and put the gun away. He was glad to see Lee, yet he froze once he got a look at the one who was accompanying the business tycoon. It was someone he definitely recognized. "Alisa…is that…is that really you…..." Lars was at loss for words in seeing the android.

Before the Swedish man could even say anything further, he was tackled onto the floor by Alisa, who did that out of happiness to see the man she had made friends with still being alive. The pink-haired girl was upon him, her face brightened with joy.

"Lars…..I…..I've wanted to see you for so long!" Alisa exclaimed while facing him. Once again, tears slowly started to stream from her eyes. But she paid no attention to it. Alisa was just happy to see this man again.

While surprised in hearing this at first, Lars quickly realized that the Alisa he had known, was back. Surprisingly, it filled him with joy in seeing her. Without even hesitating, Lars embraced Alisa in a tight hug, much to the girl's surprise. But it didn't take long before Alisa decided to return the hug.

"I too have wanted to see you, Alisa. And I'm happy that you came" Lars told her, trying his best to hold back tears.

Alisa looked at Lars, starting to slowly recall the last time…when she had fought him under Jin Kazama's orders. "Lars…...about what I did back in Egypt…...I'm terribly…" the android was stopped once Lars spoke up.

"Don't say you're sorry, Alisa. Deep down, despite your programming and orders, I knew you were against fighting me. You would never want to harm or hurt a friend. I just know it" the spikey-haired man told her, causing the young girl to widen in surprise.

Right now, Alisa started to become more human and less android. First it was Lee, but now Lars was also treating her as a human being. It filled Alisa with nothing but joy. She was happy that Lars still considered her a friend, despite her fight against him.

Lee, feeling proud to have accomplished just a wonderful reunion, clapped his hands together. "Excellent! How moving. I did promise you each of you that you would be reunited. As I always say: I am a man of my word" he praised the couple of friends, yet Alisa quickly got off Lars so that he could get up on his feet. "Now then, shall we go? This corridor isn't necessarily the most pleasant place to chat and relive the good times" Lee suggested to them.

"Right. Follow me" Lars told his friends and they followed him through the long corridor.

As soon as they passed through a door, they found themselves walking through a corridor that was filled with soldiers of the Tekken Force. Alisa quickly got cautious in seeing them.

"Tekken Force soldiers…..." she said warily, yet Lars calmed her fears by gently putting a hand on her left shoulder. He smiled at her, which immediately made Alisa snap.

"Don't worry, these men are on our side. Like me, they are all defectors of the Tekken Force" Lars assured her, and Alisa found her calm. He then proceeded to lead his friends through the corridor. "After my comrade Tougou died, I swore that I never stop ending the rebellion against the Mishima Zaibatsu, as well as standing up to the G Corporation's machinations. It was what he would've wanted me to do…..." the Swedish man got slightly emotional while thinking about his late friend, who had served in the same division as Lars did.

Alisa slowly began recollecting her memories regarding Tougou. She remembered who he was, as well as how he died. "Tougou…I remember him. He was that brave warrior who died during a fight against the G Corporation…" the android said weakly, remembering how his death had affected Lars.

"That's right. But even though he is not with me anymore, I won't let his death go in vain. That is why I created this secret resistance movement to counter whatever ambitions the Zaibatsu or the G Corp has for this world. I call it…Yggdrasil" Lars explained what he had done since the end of the previous tournament.

Alisa was amazed while Lee mused to himself in hearing the name of the group. "Yggdrasil…...what an intriguing name it is" the pink-haired girl exclaimed out in fascination.

"So, you've named it after the world tree in Norse mythology? Not too shabby, I must say" the CEO of Violet Systems remarked in what he was hearing the name. "Speaking of which, how come I've never heard you speaking in Swedish before? I mean, you're good in Japanese and English, but aren't you at least interested in learning more about your place of birth?" he then asked Lars with a hint of humor in his voice.

Hearing this made Lars look at him with a scoff. "Two words: håll käften" Lars said to him in Swedish, which meant shut up. "There, how'd you like it?" he then asked Lee, while trying to be humorous and sarcastic at the same time.

"It wasn't good enough. You only told me to shut up. That's not professional to say in the least, even for a soldier of justice such as you" Lee told him in return while trying to correct his adoptive half-brother.

Lars only shrugged his shoulders. "Okej. Har du något bättre ord?" Lars then asked him in Swedish.

"Alright, just stop it. Forget I said anything" Lee told him to stop, much to not only Lars' amusement, but to Alisa's as well.

"Bra förslag, Lee" the spikey-haired man teased him once again, causing Lee to only look into another direction while groaning slightly.

Meanwhile, Alisa had to giggle as she heard how funny Lars was. She was happy that he was more than just the serious fighter. He could also be humorous and comedic at times whenever he felt the need to. But alas, Lars was a resilient and proud soldier, who never stopped fighting for what he believed in.

"Alright. We're here. This is the room where we spend most of our time in. It's what you could call our unofficial HQ. We have everything behind those doors" Lars told his friends and the door before them opened so that they could all enter.

Once they were inside, they could see this room almost functioned as a hospital, given that they saw Jin lying on a nearby bed unconscious. From what Alisa and Lee could tell, he was currently in a comatose state. However, he was still alive.

"Ah, so Jin really is here? How has he been since you brought him back?" Lee asked Lars.

"His fight with Angel has taken its toll. Jin has been out cold for five days" Lars explained while glancing at his half-nephew lying on the specialized hospital bed. "When I first recovered him in Saudi Arabia, Jin begged me to go and free Angel, given that he himself had captured her. I was vehemently against it, given that Jin barely survived his fight with Azazel. But once Heihachi got back in the Mishima Zaibatsu's leadership, I let him go. He told me he would recruit allies on his own in order to save Angel" he went on telling what Jin had done since he had been taken in by Lars.

"I see. And we all know the story. Jin battled Angel above the Tokyo skyline. And which leads me to this question, where did you find him?" Lee asked Lars.

Lars slowly began recalling to that night. "When Jin and his allies began their operation to free Angel, it was originally planed that we would pick them up and provide them with the escape. But the plans changed once Kazuya and his G Corp followers showed up, as well as Heihachi's attempt make Angel's power his. During the aerial fight above Tokyo, we managed to hold track of where Jin was. It took a while, but we eventually found him floating in the Sumida River. We recovered him and took him to our nearest hideout. But what happened with Angel…we didn't find out" he told both Alisa and Lee about how Lars had been the one to recover Jin before search parties from the Zaibatsu or the G Corp could find him.

"So since that night, Jin has been in the condition we see now?" Alisa asked him, to which Lars replied with a quick nod. "I understand…..hopefully he will wake up from this coma….I am certain of it" the android added to her observation.

"I admire your compassion, Lars. But what do you hope to achieve by helping Jin like this? He's clearly more worth to you than an alliance with the UN's intelligence unit or Interpol" Lee questioned Lars before deciding to reveal him something. "Furthermore, since the incident above Tokyo, I have been cooperating with those two entities with regards to finding out the root of this Mishima-feud. I don't know whether they will want to apprehend Jin or not, but they know he's being held here" the silver-haired man revealed to Lars.

The Swedish man nodded his head in return. "I see. Now as for my reasons for keeping Jin in my custody. Well…...it may sound absurd to you and some others. But I plan on using Jin to end this global war" he answered Lee's question.

Both Lee and Alisa were surprised to hear what Lars had in mind for Jin. Was he being for real? Could Jin be the ultimate key to end this worldwide war? After all, it was he who had started it in order to awaken Azazel and defeat him. While not sure whether such idea would work, it was good start.

"Is that so? My, that is quite a plan you have there, Lars. While I respect and support your decision, I must ask you: why would you be willing to work with Jin in order to accomplish such?" Lee asked his adoptive half-brother.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not doing this because I feel sorry for Jin, let alone condone his actions on people across the world. But his sacrifice to defeat Azazel somewhat impressed me. It was as if he carried the burden on his shoulders and willingly took the chance to battle Azazel. And he won, much to my utter surprise" Lars informed Lee about the reasons he wanted to "help" Jin.

"I also support using Jin to end this war" Alisa spoke up, agreeing with Lars' plans for his half-nephew. The young girl slowly began recalling to what she had originally been programmed to. "I know that I was originally programmed to serve and protect Jin. As such, I bear some form of resentment towards him for what he did. Even so, I believe that Lars has a point. Jin was the one who brought this world into chaos…he should be the one to end it" Alisa went on explaining her reasons for supporting Lars' plans.

Seeing merit in their words, Lee smiled cunningly. "Understood. In fact, your reasons have made me like this idea. Therefore, I will humbly support it" the silver-haired man gave them his full support. Lee then decided to move on to more pressing matters. He looked at Lars. "And which reminds me, two of these people I've been working with, you have met before. You remember Lei Wulong, right? And the agent known as Raven?" he asked his adoptive half-brother.

Lars got a flashback inside his mind when those names were brought up. While he did remember Lei, he had briefly fought alongside Raven during their mission to stop Jin's plans in Egypt. The last words the agent had told him left him wonder who he was. Was Raven an enemy or an ally?

"Yes, I do recall both individuals. However, I know more about this "Raven" you speak off. We fought side by side in Egypt, as well against Azazel. We thought he had been defeated…until he reemerged from his temple. According to Jin, only a human with the Devil Gene inside could defeat Azazel. And so he did…" Lars began recalling to his time in the Middle East with Raven, as well as their fight with Azazel.

"Indeed. Speaking of which, Detective Lei along with Raven and a lovely colleague of his are investigating the roots of the Mishima clan, or more specifically the Devil Gene" Lee revealed to Lars, who immediately got interested in what he was saying. The business tycoon nodded his head at him. "That's right, they are making good progress so far. Even as we speak, they are visiting an informant somewhere in Kyoto. I bet they would love to have you onboard their time" he told him.

"Perhaps. But I'm still uncertain about the allegiances of these two agents from the UN. For all I know, they could be either my enemies or my allies. And they may as well disagree with me on what to do with Jin" Lars expressed his opinion on the matter.

Lee shook his head slightly. "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you. While they do want him to stand trial before the ICC, they want to hear your reasons for saving Jin, as well as question you about your links to the Mishima clan" he assured Lars.

But Lars only rubbed his armored chest as he heard Lee talking. "I may carry their blood within me, but I am no way near the Mishimas. I owe Heihachi nothing. The only great debt I owe is to my mother" the spikey-haired man told Lee and Alisa, once again getting slightly emotional as he talked about his mother, who was a Swedish woman.

"Lars…" Alisa expressed her concern for her friend.

But the Swedish man quitted being emotional and smiled slightly at his friends. "But this isn't the time to reflect on something that we lost. The world is at stake here. Lee, I will agree to cooperate with Detective Lei Wulong, as well as the other two agents. At this rate, Yggdrasil will need all the reliable friends it can get its hands on" Lars told his friends, once again bringing out the spirit of a soldier within him.

"Right" both Alisa and Lee said in unison, confident in Lars' qualities as a leader.

The three friends then walked over to the giant screen that showed them a map of the entire world. "At this rate, Yggdrasil seem to have the advantage, given that the Mishima Zaibatsu is busy hosting the King of Iron Fist Torunament 7. We know why Heihachi is hosting it, so we won't get ourselves involved in that mess" Lars informed her friends before he focused something happening on the map. "But something else has been drawing out attention lately. It's this source of dark energy appearing somewhere in Canada. But we have yet to figure out whether it is a foul beast like Azazel or something else. Even so, we can't direct our attention to that place. For now, we will remain concentrated on affairs in Japan" he went on explaining to his friends, who completely understood his reasons

* * *

 _Inside a run-down house in Minami-ku, near the To-ji temple, Kyoto_

Detective Lei Wulong had along with Master Raven and Raven arrived at a run-down house in Minami-ku, Kyoto. It was a strange neighborhood, given that the houses were built close to one another. Even so, it didn't stop the three from finding their informant in the run-down house. This informant was someone who had served the Hachijo clan many years ago. It was an elderly man named Moto. According to Wang Jinrei, Moto had also attended the wedding between Heihachi Mishima and Kazumi Hachijo. That is why the detective and the agents believed he possessed some information about Kazumi's clan. If Kazuya had indeed inherited Kazumi's blood, maybe Moto could help them.

Moto was clad in white kimono and wore wooden sandals. He had wrinkles every, from his face to his feet. He was baldheaded, yet he had a thin, white beard running from his chin. Moto had led his visitors to the gardens of his home, where they could have this conversation in peace. But so far, getting information was all in vain. It was a stranger garden, one typical seen in traditional Japanese homes. The leaves on the trees were falling as they had this talk.

"Greetings, Moto. My name is Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police. And these two are agents from the UN's intelligence unit. We would like to know more about the mystery of the Hachijo household's strength. And given that you once worked at them for many years, we figured out you could help us. Master Wang Jinrei arranged for us to meet" the Chinese man explained to Moto as he and

Moto faced them with his elderly gaze. He was about as old as Wang was, so it was no surprise how someone like Wang knew him. "It is true, I was a servant at the Hachijo household many years ago. And I also attended the wedding between Kazumi Hachijo and Heihachi Mishima. But I was never around young Kazumi" Moto told his visitors as they sat in the gardens.

"So in other words, you didn't know much about Kazumi, let alone the reason why she married into the Mishima clan?" Lei gently asked Moto, who nodded his head weakly. "Okay. Well you see, Master Wang had assumed you were one of Kazumi's personal retainers" the policeman pointed out.

"Me, a personal retainer? Bah! Nonsense! I was serving the main household, not an individual member. Young Kazumi was not even an heiress to the clan" Moto corrected Lei's assumption.

Lei nodded his head in understanding. "I see. But this was only something Wang told us. He could be wrong, as you nor he didn't know each other that much, you only met during the wedding" the detective assured Moto who agreed to what Lei had told him.

"But can you at least tell us something what you know about the Hachijo clan? About its secrets or ideals? Did anything occur to you that the clan was hiding something from you?" Master Raven politely asked Moto, who began scratching his long beard in slight confusion.

"Secrets? Excuse my insolence for saying this, young lady, but the Hachijo clan had no secrets to hide from me, not that I am aware of" Moto replied.

"Then tell us what kind of clan it was" Raven encouraged the elderly man.

"Well…what I do know is that the Hachijo clan hails back far as the Taira and Minamoto eras. But unlike the Mishimas, they were not militaristic or warmongering. However, the Hachijos were not pacifists, as they did train warriors and fighters in their art of Karate. Like many other clans in Japan, the Hachijos changed once the country opened itself for Western influence, thus paving way for the Industrial Revolution" Moto began explaining what he knew about the Hachijo clan in general, as well as it's history. "Yet despite the industrialization, the Hachijo clan retained their culture and honor. But during my years to their service, I realized that the clan looked up to the Mishima clan, or more specifically their patriarch in those times: Jinpachi Mishima" the elderly man revealed to his visitors.

Lei and his companions were surprised to hear this. It turned out Jinpachi was actually liked by most people in Japan, even among the Hachijos. Something popped inside Lei's head as he reflected on this revelation.

"You don't say. It may be a silly assumption on my part, but what if Kazumi was married into the Mishima clan out of respect for Jinpachi?" the detective asked Moto while the agents listened.

"That is quite a possibility, young one. After all, the Hachijos did admire Jinpachi for his ideals and wisdom. They welcomed him ending the Mishima Zaibatsu's plans for a coup against the Japanese government and emperor. Therefore, young Kazumi was probably married to the Mishima dojo to show their appreciation of Jinpachi's ideals. However, I am uncertain whether it was a political marriage or not" Moto agreed with what Lei assumed, although he also came up with his own assumptions.

"Yeah…..truth is…..we're also wondering about the same thing" Lei told Moto.

"Let me ask you something. You did attend the wedding between Heihachi and Kazumi. How long after did you continue to serve the Hachijo clan?" Raven asked the elderly man.

Moto took his time to think about that question. "After the wedding, I continued to serve the household in ten years. But I never learned anything strange about the clan. All I know is that Kazumi died of a terrible illness. Poor dear. And she had just married the man she loved" he told them.

His visitors understood he was telling them what he knew, and the fact that Moto knew nothing strange about the Hachijo clan. But there was a question that lingered on their minds. Did Kazumi Mishima really die of an illness? As much as he was honest with them, Lei and the agents didn't believe it was the right answer. But then again, Moto had relatively little knowledge about Kazumi. Realizing that their efforts to learn about Kazumi Mishima was in vain, they decided to leave Moto, given that the old man was getting tired.

"Very well. I think we have heard enough. But we humbly thank you for sharing with us what you now about the household, Moto" Master Raven expressed her appreciation.

The elderly man smiled through his long beard. "Ah, no need to thank me, young one. I rarely get much visitors these days. It may be lonely, but I know what always manages to keep me safe and happy. I often sing this song to find my inner peace?" Moto told them.

The three visitors arched their eyebrows. "A song? What kind of song?" Lei wondered, wanting to know how someone as old as Moto could live in this existence.

Moto rose up from his seat and faced his three visitors. They also stood up. "Since you are leaving, I better sing this song. It is a traditional nursery rhyme sung in the Hachijo clan. It is a wonderful song that makes me feel strong in face of loneliness" the elderly man told them.

The three visitors were about to leave, but they stopped once Moto began humming. What made them freeze in their tracks was the lyrics in this so-called nursery rhyme Moto hummed

"Demon begone! Demon begone! Playing in the crimson river, in the mouth he lies. How long will his playing go on?" Moto sung slowly while Lei and the two agents listened carefully. But Moto didn't stop. He continued repeating the words endlessly. Having heard enough, the visitors exited the house.

Even outside, they could still hear Moto humming and it sent them a chill in their spines. The trio got away from the neighborhood as quickly as possible. They just didn't want to hear this song anymore.

Once they were far away from hearing Moto's voice, the trio began reflecting on the visit, as well as what they had learned. But what dominated in their minds most, was the song they had heard Moto sing.

"What the hell…...what was that? What kind of nursery rhyme uses such words?" Raven cautiously asked Lei and Master Raven.

Lei shook his head in horror. "No idea. But you heard the lyrics. It sounded so…...superstitious" the police officer expressed his discomfort with the song.

"Indeed. And that leaves me wondering: could this nursery rhyme signify something related to the Hachijo clan?" Master Raven wondered grimly, even someone as serious and stern as her taking discomfort in hearing this song. "Just think about it. What if the demon represented a mysterious power? What if crimson referred to blood? And what if the river…...symbolized a bloodline?" the agent began puzzle the meaning of the words.

"You know, now that you mention it…..it does kinda look like it. But let's forget about that visit we did from now on. Being reminded of that song still gives me the creeps" Lei noted from what he heard Master Raven say. "That being said…...what was the name of that person Lee and Alisa went to look for? The one who is Heihachi's illegitimate son" the Chinese man asked the agents.

"Lars Alexandersson, a Swedish member of the Tekken Force, who defected it to create his own resistance movement. We know where he is hiding. And I know for certain that he could become an important asset to our job" Raven answered before facing his superior. "Master Raven, shall we go and visit him? But we best be prepared. He may not welcome us openly" he then suggested.

Master Raven simply narrowed her eyes in hearing this. "That means nothing to us, Raven. He will help us, one way or another. And as for Jin Kazama. I want to hear from him personally. Now let's go" she replied firmly and both Raven and Lei followed her to the direction she was running towards. But Master Raven was thinking a little about the visit to Moto. "While we may not have gotten what we wanted, there is something that we learned from Moto. The Hachijo clan has a dark secret…...but what is it? We will have to find out more later" the black-skinned woman thought.

* * *

 _On top of the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

The Survival of the Fittest was in full swing on the rooftop of the Mishima Zaibatsu's HQ in Tokyo. While other contestants were braving seas in order to reach Japan, those on the rooftop didn't have to worry about such challenges. Still, they would have to contend to last in a battle royale so high above the city.

Over hundred fighters were battling each other to last in the tournament. So far, they were getting more ferocious by the minute. Among these fighters was the swordsman named Yoshimitsu. He was having his hands full with fighters who desperately wanted to take him out. But he was too quick for them. With his fast skills and agility, Yoshimitsu dealt with his opponents easily. But he was in for a new challenge.

The kunoichi named Kunimitsu had managed to take out opponents of her own. The masked lady now had her focus on Yoshimitsu, drawing out a kunai and prepared herself. A smirk crept on her crimson lips.

"Now, where were we? Oh right, the part where I take back the swords that is rightfully my grandfather's!" Kunimitsu said and ran straight towards her opponent.

In return, Yoshimitsu did the same thing, preparing himself for a clash. "It will never be his! That I promise you!" the swordsman said and swung his blade, only for Kunimitsu to vanish in a poof. But Yoshimitsu was quick-witted. He looked up to see an attack coming from above. With quick reflexes, he blocked her attack, his sword clashing with her kunai. "You will have to do better than that!" Yoshimitsu scolded her.

"Heh! I am just getting started!" Kunimitsu hit back and jumped backwards to avoid getting slashed by Yoshimitsu. "I just hope you know what you are doing!" she added before throwing a kunai at her opponent, to which Yoshimitsu swatted away with his sword.

"Many years have passed, yet you still possess the same attitude. All the more reason why you are no longer welcome in the Manji Clan" Yoshimitsu spoke up his mind.

Kunimitsu scowled in what she heard him say. "Do you know what I say to that in return? I SPIT UPON YOUR GRAVES!" the redheaded lady said venomously, trying to reference the members of the Manji Clan murdered by Bryan Fury.

The very tone of it only enraged Yoshimitsu, and he proceeded to charge at the kunoichi in anger. The duel between the two ninjas were on.

Meanwhile, Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen was having a good time with many opponents coming at her. She dealt with them quickly. However, the German girl managed to catch a glimpse of JACK 7 and Gigas. She froze in what she was seeing. It only confirmed that the G Corporation had sent someone to present it in the tournament.

"A JACK….it's been a long time since I last saw one…but this one's a different model…" Leo noted, yet she quickly turned her attention to Gigas. She was in for a shock once she noticed what he really was. "That thing…...it's not a robot…mein Gott...…it's…biomechanical!" she shivered in what she was seeing.

So far, both JACK 7 and Gigas were holding on their own against foes, given their raw strength and sizes. But while JACK 7 was more calculating, Gigas kept rampaging like some wild animal. Even so, looking at Gigas only filled Leo with nothing but disgust.

"I can't believe the G Corp under Kazuya's leadership is resorting to such methods…it….it abhors me!" Leo expressed her resentment in seeing this. "They're actually experimenting on human beings…that's just despicable" she added to her thoughts.

The blonde-haired girl was interrupted by someone calling out to her. Leo wondered who it was, yet it came from a blondie such as herself. Leo raised an eyebrow.

"Hi! I'm Lucky Chloe!" the young girl said while doing her signature pose in front of Leo. "You look like you could use some action Wanna spar with me, mister?" Chloe asked the German.

Leo was completely dumbfounded at that statement. "What? Just who in the world are…" Leo snapped once she recalled seeing something on television. She quickly recognized the girl before her. She was always on every advertisements from the G Corp. As such, she was the company's poster girl. Leo was filled with anger. "You! You're that cosplayer who's always on the G Corp's ads! What are you doing here!? Trying to pose a good image for your boss, perhaps?" Leo asked while having her arms crossed.

Lucky Chloe was taken aback by the tone in Leo's voice. Still, she didn't back off. "Woah, someone's very cranky today. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, mister?" she asked Leo in her usual sassy manner.

Leo's anger was beginning to grow, as she couldn't stand Chloe's snobbish attitude. "First of all, you better watch who you're talking with! I can easily beat you in a fight. And second of all, stop calling me mister! The name's Leo Kliesen and I'm a girl!" she berated the cosplayer.

When Chloe heard this, she burst into laughing. The blonde-haired girl couldn't believe what she had just heard Leo say and it made her laugh out loud. Leo only stood and watched her confused. "Hah! You're a girl!? Now that's just messed up! I mean, look at your clothes! You dress like a boy! And that hair of yours looks ridiculous! And what kind of girl names herself "Leo" anyway? Are you a lion or something?" Chloe expressed her amusement with Leo and continued laughing her butt off.

The German girl was getting more furious as she was getting mocked for her appearance and her name. "You take that back in an instant! And I seriously mean it! By the way, Leo is short for Eleonore, which is a German girl's name!" Leo snapped while pointing a finger at Chloe. "Besides, who are you to judge my way of dressing? I mean, isn't cosplaying a cat something very unusual? Please, that outfit of yours looks incredibly ridiculous" she then decided to take a jab at her opponent.

Lucky Chloe didn't welcome Leo's criticism. "Don't insult my talents! It's all part of my job, as I am the G Corp's poster girl!" she hit back before forming a cunning smirk on her lips. "But then again, I guess I'm way better fighter than you, aren't I, nasty shemale?" she taunted Leo.

Leo lost her cool and began attack Chloe, only for the cosplayer to block her attack. They were starting to get at each other's throats. "You, a better fighter than me? Schwachsinn! I'm a speleologist and a master of Baji Quan! What are your talents? Singing karaoke songs and performing lame dance moves, perhaps?" she started to insult her opponent.

Lucky Chloe got furious in what she was hearing and proceeded to kick Leo, only for the German girl to block it by using her right leg. "That does it! I'm not gonna stand by and let a skank like you insult the G Corp in such manner! How about I teach the true meaning of respect…WITH MY KICKS!?" she snapped and proceed to kick at her opponent.

But Leo dodged them and proceeded to land her own punches on Chloe. "The only one who needs to learn respect…...IS YOU! SO PREPARE YOURSELF, HÜNDIN!" she hit back at her opponent while swearing in German.

Not far from where they were fighting, Josie Rizal couldn't believe in what she was seeing. What made those two blondies get worked up all of a sudden? As much as she wanted to know more, Josie realized that now was not the time. She had to concentrate on surviving in the tournament. But as she stood there, she quickly managed to dodge an attack coming from behind. The Philippine woman stood her guard, yet she snapped in what she was seeing. It was JACK 7.

"Oh my gosh! A JACK! But this must be a different model, since it's weaponry surpasses that of ordinary JACKs" Josie remarked and readied herself for combat. While a part of her was nervous in confronting something as big as JACK 7, another part of her didn't want to run away. "But what does it matter? I can't give up now! If I do that, my image in the Tekken Force is bound to be ruined! I may as well be demoted by the boss as punishment" she told herself, building more confidence within her.

Unbeknownst to Josie, JACK 7 was actually analyzing her, as well as reading her data. "Analyzation completed. Name: Josie Rizal. Fighting style: Eskrima-based Kickboxing. Nationality: The Philippines" JACK 7 said as he was done analyzing Josie.

The Philippine woman dropped her jaw in disbelief. "Seriously? Did that thing just analyze me? I mean, we haven't even started fighting, yet he already knows a thing or two about my characteristics!" Josie was growing slightly paranoid inside of her. But she was cautious once she noticed JACK 7 beginning to prepare himself for combat.

"Target acquired. Initiating combat process" JACK 7 said and began flying up in the air, although he was aiming to land on Josie. But the young woman caught wind of what JACK 7 was trying to pull and she quickly avoided getting crushed. Still, the robot was not giving up on her just yet.

Josie sweated intensively. "Holy smokes! That thing almost pulverized me! And since when can JACKs fly!?" she wondered, recalling reading some files that none of the G Corp's JACKs could fly. "But then again, this is a completely different model, maybe next-gen" Josie realized what she was up against.

JACK 7 was once again on the move. But Josie, who previously was getting uncomfortable fighting him, was now fired up to fight the robot.

"I got this! No way I'm gonna let this giant scrapheap ruin my reputation on my job, especially after working so hard to achieve it!" Josie said to herself and stood in her fighting stance, even daring JACK 7 to come at her. "Alright, tin man! Hit me with your best shot!" she taunted him.

The British boxer Steve Fox was having his hands full with several fighters. Boxing didn't permit him to kick, yet it didn't mean Steve was at a disadvantage. His punches knocked out every fighter he came across and people grew slightly feared to be near him, knowing that he was a capable fighter.

Steve only smirked in seeing his opponents flee him. "Heh. I may do Boxing, but that doesn't mean I can't fight! This should teach you not to underestimate me" the blonde-haired spoke with pride and confidence in his abilities.

But the young man could hear several fighters being beaten. Turning around, he watched one fighter getting sent knocked out into unconsciousness. Steve narrowed his eyes when he saw who it was. It was the work of Gigas. The monstrous creature was growling like some beast, yet he soon directed his attention towards Steve. The boxer snapped in disbelief once he got a better glimpse at what Gigas actually was.

"Bloody hell…you're actually a living human being…..aren't you?" Steve wondered, getting into his Boxing position once again. As he readied himself, Steve couldn't help but to feel for Gigas, as well as taking pity upon him. "What kind of sick, twisted experiments are the G Corp doing!? How can they toy with living human beings as they please!? Those bastards are no better than the Mishima Zaibatsu!" Steve concluded, feeling that he had watched enough depraved experiments.

Gigas roared and proceeded to charge towards the British boxer and was raising both powerful arms in the air in order to slam him. However, it left himself wide open for Steve to attack his toned stomach. Yelling out loud, Steve punched Gigas and sent him going backwards with all his might. As he did that, yellow lightning enveloped around his right arm.

But Steve quickly felt pain inside his left arm and it forced him down to one knee. "Damnit! Not now!" Steve cursed in distress as he felt pain inside his arm. But he failed to notice Gigas, who had managed to withstand the attack. The biomechanical creature slapped Steve, so that he was send rolling onto the floor. It was painful, but he managed to get up on his feet. Steve began crunching his left arm, the one that had the scar running across it. "What an idiot I am. I let that giant wanker take advantage of my distraction. But now the pain has gone away. Could it be that I am not properly used to fighting with this newfound power of mine?" the blonde-haired man wondered, thinking about how he had learned about the fact that the lighting inside him had been suppressed long ago.

Gigas was not finished with Steve, and he proceeded to run towards the boxer. But this time, Steve was prepared for his attack. As such, he moved left and got away just before Gigas could launch his attack. When finding out his opponent was not there, Gigas looked left and saw Steve. The blonde-haired man faced his opponent with a serious frown.

"Oh no, you don't! I'm not going to let my guard down once again! And if that damn pain starts pestering me again, I will just ignore it!" Steve exclaimed with determination building inside of him. He got into his fighting position and did some quick air punches as a means of taunting Gigas. "Hey you! You wanna try me, guv? I've got plenty of punches just for you!" he dared the giant creature to come at him.

Not far from their fight, Christie Monteiro was holding on her own with her Capoeira skills. She was constantly being targeted, probably due to her fighting skills. However, Christie was talented and beat her opponents, one by one.

"These fighters have no rhythm nor passion in their fighting styles! It's as if they're just acting like contestants" Christie expressed her disapproval of some of these fighters.

The Brazilian woman was interrupted in her quick break from fighting, once she could see a fighter being sent flying towards her. Christie snapped in shock. With her quick reflexes and flexibility, she dodged the flying fighter by bending backwards. However, she quickly got up on her feet.

"Hey! What's the big idea throwing someone at me!?" Christie snapped at whoever the person that threw the contestant was. But the young woman paused once she could see who it was that had done that. It was none other than the Sumo wrestler named Ganryu. "Hold on…you threw him?" she questioned Ganryu.

The Japanese man was beaming with confidence in his abilities. "Why, of course! But I wouldn't necessarily say I threw him. I simply pushed him with my handpalm in all my might. He never had a chance against me!" Ganryu boasted pridefully.

Christie was dumbfounded by what she was seeing. "But you're just a…Sumo wrestler….." she said, not knowing what else to say.

Ganryu felt offended by what he was hearing from her. "Silence! In the years of Sumo, only a handful of people have been given the rank of Yokozuna! Allow me to show you how I managed to get there!" he declared and readied his fighting stance.

His opponent only giggled in hearing this. "You know, you talk boldly for someone so old. Besides, how about I demonstrate you my skills? I mean, I bet Sumo doesn't have much rhythm as Capoeira does" Christie told him while beginning moving into fighting position.

The Japanese man only huffed at this. "Rhythm? Whoever said it was a key element to winning a duel? As far as I know, this isn't a dance off" Ganryu said and got into fighting position. "When it comes to fighters like me, all that I need are this perfect body and my impressive skills!" he added boastfully.

Christie almost felt like laughing out loud. "You call all that fat the perfect body? I don't know whether I should laugh at you or feel sorry for you. Even so, all that boasting does not suit you" the young woman told Ganryu.

"I was boastful once. But those were many years ago. Now, I am much wiser with regards to engaging in combat. You, on the other hand, are still young and confused to realize what you're up against" the Sumo wrestler explained.

Hearing this made Christie slightly agitated. "I've had enough of wasting my breath! Let's say we start getting real here. I just hope you're not too rusty, old-timer!" she told him before beginning her move against Ganryu. She tried to land him a kick, only for her opponent to block it.

"Hmm. I may be old, but I'm not helpless. Let me show you the errors of underestimating a Yokozuna!" Ganryu firmly replied and began attacking Christie, yet she was too quick for him.

Smirking, Christie only got more excited to fight Ganryu, despite not used to fight someone so chubby before. "Don't go easy on me, Sumo wrestler. Because this girl is gonna show you how rhythm truly works in battle!" she exclaimed with happiness. It was rare for Christie to enjoy fighting, given that she was interested in testing other people's rhythm in their fighting styles.

In the meantime, Ling Xiaoyu was holding on her own against some fighters who dared attack her. But she was not alone. Not far from her, Asuka Kazama was also handling her foes well. Once they got rid of their opponents, the two girls turned their attention towards each other. Xiaoyu was slightly stunned, as this girl reminded her of Miharu Hirano, her classmate.

"So, you're also in this tournament?" Xiaoyu asked Asuka, trying to be polite as possible.

Asuka smiled in return. "Damn straight. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to go look after the man who hospitalized my dad" she told Xiaoyu.

The Chinese girl was surprised to hear what Asuka said. "You mean your father has been attacked?" she asked him, to which Asuka weakly nodded her head as a yes. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you find whoever that man is. Sounds like an awful person" Xiaoyu told her.

"Aw, thanks for the encouragement. I appreciate it. But let's not got ahead of ourselves here. We're in a fight, remember?" Asuka thanked Xiaoyu before getting into her fighting stance. "I saw you taking out your opponents. Quite amazing fighting skill you have, girly" the brunette complimented her opponent.

Xiaoyu only giggled in hearing this. "Thanks for the compliment. I could say the same thing about your abilities. They interest me. And you're correct, its best we continue with the program" she said and got into her fighting stance. "And besides, my name's not girly. It's Ling Xiaoyu. Don't you forget it" the Chinese girl then introduced herself.

Asuka only smirked in return. "I sure as heck won't! My name's Asuka Kazama. Pleased to beat you" the Japanese girl introduced herself.

The moment Xiaoyu heard Asuka's surname, she froze instantly. Her mind quickly drifted back into the past, especially to those memories with Jin Kazama, her longtime crush. She still couldn't let go of that night above Tokyo skyline, when Jin had transformed into that devilish monster and vanished during his fight against Angel.

Meanwhile, Asuka was getting confused at Xiaoyu's behavior. "Umm…...is something wrong?" she questioned her, wondering what had made Xiaoyu stop getting prepared for this fight.

The Chinese girl looked at her. "You said your name is…Kazama? Kazama…...as in…...Jin Kazama.….." Xiaoyu uttered out the name. "Do you know someone named Jin Kazama?" she questioned Asuka.

"You ask if I know who that is? Sure I do! He's the bastard who has brought nothing but shame to my family name! When I get my hands on him, he'll pay!" Asuka expressed her open hostility towards Jin.

Xiaoyu couldn't believe her own ears. What was Asuka telling her? "Your family name, you say? Hold the phone. Are you and Jin's…sister?" the girl with the pigtails asked her opponent.

Asuka was taken aback by that question. Her anger was fuming inside of her. "What!? Hell no! That brooding jackass is no brother of mine!" the young brunette lashed out against Xiaoyu.

"Okay…cousins then?" Xiaoyu asked Asuka.

"As if!" the Japanese girl yelled in fury. "Why the hell do you keep linking me to Jin, anyway? I mean, what is that monster to you!?" she added to her anger.

When that question hit her, Xiaoyu was quickly reminded about her feelings towards him. As such, she became furious in hearing Asuka speaking about Jin in such negative manner. Now, it was her turn to unleash the rage.

"Don't you dare talk about Jin like that! Jin was my classmate, as well as my friend!" Xiaoyu snapped at Asuka, who was utterly stunned to hear this revelation. The Chinese girl began facing the ground with a hint of sadness in her face. "Me and Jin went to the same school together, at Mishima High. But for many years, he vanished, without telling me where he was going. Since then, I have always been wanting to see him, even when I heard he had started this global war. But I had him once…only for him to disappear again…." Xiaoyu was growing sadder a she recalled the last time she had seen Jin.

As quiet as Asuka had become in seeing Xiaoyu becoming this sad, it didn't wish away her enmity towards Jin. "Well, that's your issue with him. My issue with him is that he has tarnished the Kazama family name with his atrocious actions! He did commit numerous crimes on mankind. If you still consider Jin a friend, then fine! But don't give me that ridiculous sob-story to paint him a hero. He's not that. Neither is he a friend to you. A true friend would never resort to such methods. If so, then he has probably turned his back on you" Asuka explained to her opponent.

Unfortunately for Asuka, her words had only stoked her rage. She did not welcome what just came out of the brunette's mouth. It made Xiaoyu feel very confrontational towards the Japanese girl.

"Take back what you just said!" Xiaoyu hissed at Asuka, yet she didn't seem intimidated by her so far.

"No! Why would I? What I just said is true! There is no way that Jin could possibly care about….." Asuka was interrupted by the angry voice of Xiaoyu.

"TAKE IT BACK!" she yelled and charged straight towards her opponent.

Asuka only scowled in return. "NEVER!" she hit back and proceeded to charge towards Xiaoyu in return.

The two girls were at each other's throats, hitting each other and kicking each other to unleash their anger towards one another. It was the beginning of a serious catfight between the girls. At first, it had looked as if they had started to become friends. But the mentioning of Jin Kazama had turned each of these girls into sworn enemies towards one another. But it was not only Asuka and Xiaoyu that were getting real in terms of fighting. All across the rooftop, fighters were either knocked into unconsciousness. It was all going according to Heihachi Mishima's plans. He wanted to know which fighters would last longest.

* * *

 _On the outskirts of the city of Richmond, British Colombia, Canada_

The ongoing battles between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation took place in countries across the globe. They even happened in North America. While the USA was too powerful in terms of military strength, Canada was not. That is why the large country had become a battlefield between the two opposing sides.

One of the many battles took place in the coastal city of Richmond, British Colombia. It was near the largest city in British Colombia: Vancouver. The Zaibatsu had already launched an air raid to attack G Corp forces stationed in the city. The results were deadly, as missiles and bombs were set off, causing major explosions in the city. Even by now, the inhabitants of Richmond had either fled or succumbed to their deaths.

But not everyone was dead, yet. Somewhere on the outskirts of the city, a certain individual was standing on top of rubbles that had emerged in wake of this warfare. That person carried dark energies within him, and he watched from the distance as the air raids destroyed Richmond. It was the mysterious leader of the cultists calling themselves the Acolytes of Pluton, the one calling himself Revenant. The explosion in the city reflected on his mask.

"Such destruction…..only someone as pathetic as Heihachi Mishima can pull this air raid" Revenant spoke through his mask.

The mysterious man got off the pile of rubbles he was standing on and proceeded through the ruins. Wherever he walked, shadows began clouding on everything around him. There was no question that Revenant was more than just a man in a disguise. In fact, many ruffians who tried attacking him were too scared. But one of them was a daring fellow. He only ended up getting himself killed by Revenant. Seeing how ruthless and cold he was, everyone, both humans and animals, avoided Revenant.

He eventually reached to the shores of Richmond, near Swishwash Island. There, Revenant gazed towards the sea, in the direction that most likely was Japan.

"So the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 is going smoothly? Just as I expected. And I see so many challengers who wishes to seek out their luck. Not only members of the Zaibatsu, but also agents of the G Corporation, as well as the leader of those foolish Archers of Sirius. Nevertheless, none of them shall oppose my plan" Revenant spoke up as he began taking steps into the shoring water, before floating above it. It was unbelievable! Revenant could actually fly! This could only mean one thing: Revenant was heading for Japan. "I best fly to Japan now. And I may as well also pay Heihachi and his son a little visit. They shall know the darkness that has emerged from the shadows of this war!" he declared and flew towards his destination, high above the seas.

 _To be continued…_


	14. Eye of the Storm

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Eye of the Storm**

 _Inside a hidden facility, Kyoto, Japan_

This hidden facility was the official hideout of the Tekken Force rebels, who had founded a resistance-movement named Yggdrasil. Led by the valiant officer and Heihachi Mishima's illegitimate son: Lars Alexsandersson, Yggdrasil would work to bring the world back into peace. However, they would do so in the shadows, given that their organization was relatively small compared to their enemies. Still, Lars would not give up his quest to bring an end to the ongoing worldwide war, as it had already taken its toll on humanity. He would create friendships that would benefit Yggdrasil in their objectives.

Right now, Lars was having visitors in the form of Alisa Bosconovitch and Lee Chaolan. Together, they had begun observing events taking place in what appeared to be some kind of control room. But at the same time, they were also guarding Jin Kazama, who was currently recuperating on a hospital bed.

"Now this seems very unusual" Lars grimly noted as he watched the map on the giant screen. "According to this, the dark source we detected in Canada's western coastline seems to have vanished. But to where?" the spikey-haired man wondered as he tried to figure out the whereabouts of this dark source of energy that had appeared.

"That remains a mystery, even to me" Alisa spoke up, admitting that she too was uncertain about its whereabouts. "But shouldn't we be more concentrated on our affairs in Japan?" the pink-haired girl questioned her friends.

Lee nodded his head in return. "You do have a point, Alisa. It would be unwise to take off our eyes on what's more important. We still have plenty of challenges to contend with" the silver-haired man remarked.

"And what would those challenges be?" the trio of friends snapped and quickly looked to their left to see none other than Master Raven and Raven standing near their location. Master Raven was the one who had spoken.

Everyone was in shock and the solders of Yggdrasil pointed their weapons at the duo of agents. It was stunning to see how they had managed to infiltrate the facility with such ease. But before they could open fire, Lars intervened.

"Hold your fire! These are on our side!" the Swedish man commanded them and the soldiers did as he wished. Lars then turned his attention on them. But he was specifically facing Raven "You! How in the world did you get in here!? I was told that you were aware of our hideout, but I never expected you to infiltrate it like this!" he demanded an answer out of Raven.

"Don't look so surprised. It wasn't that hard to figure out it's location. And besides, your entrepreneur friend there gave us intel" Raven flatly pointed out to him.

Lars briefly glanced at Lee, who simply shrugged his shoulders in return. He let out a sigh in annoyance. "Alright. I guess I underestimated you ninjas. But where's the cop from Interpol? Wasn't he supposed to be accompanying…" Lars got his answer once the door opened.

In came Detective Lei Wulong, escorted by soldiers of Yggdrasil. They pushed him forward so that he fell onto the ground. "Ouch! And here I thought using the door was the most common thing to do when visiting someone. Ow" Lei noted while getting up on his feet, brushing off the dust on his clothes. He then noticed the others standing there. "Woah! Hey there, guys! Sorry for being late. But these guys just wanted to beat me up before taking me in here" he told them in a comical manner.

The two agents facepalmed, Alisa watched him curiously, Lee chuckled to himself in amusement and Lars simply watched Lei with a raised eyebrow. "I see…you must be Lei Wulong from the Hong Kong Police" Lars remarked.

Lei grinned cheekily. "The one and only!" the detective said, before recognizing Lars. "Ah, so you're Lars Alexandersson? I remember you and Alisa saving my hide from that G Corporation attack during the previous tournament. So glad we could meet again" the Chinese man told him.

Lars was unsure of what to say, yet he was interrupted by the voice of Master Raven. "Enough with the chit-chat. Me and my subordinate here have decided to ask you something, illegitimate son of Heihachi Mishima" the black-skinned woman sternly said while facing the Swedish man.

"Raven, who is this woman? Is she a colleague of yours?" Lars asked the agent.

Raven felt himself feeling awkward, yet Master Raven only narrowed her gaze upon Lars. "Damn. Why didn't I see that one coming?" the man with the sunglasses wondered.

"Colleague is an understatement. I am Master Raven, the superior of this imbecile beside me" she firmly told him, even taking a brief glance at Raven, who only snapped when hearing the comment.

"Was that comment really necessary?" Raven questioned his superior in annoyance.

But Master Raven only dismissed his protest. She wanted to get some answers out of Lars instead. There was something she wanted to know from him. "Let me ask you something. Why bother sheltering Jin Kazama? Do you honestly believe that he can be some kind of weapon against the Zaibatsu and the G Corp? Is that what your plan is? Is that why you have declined turning him over to the ICC?" Master Raven asked him, wanting to know why Lars was willing to hold onto Jin, despite his wrongdoings.

Raven was unsure about this, yet he understood what his superior wanted. He glanced at Lars, weakly nodding his head at him. It was meant to encourage him to speak up his mind and not hold anything back with regards to the truth. Lars fully comprehended his body language.

"Yes. I believe that Jin is the only person who can put an end to this war. Make no mistake, I have not rescued him from his past crimes, let alone tried to trivialize them. Personally, I also want to kill him myself. But for the sake of the world, I am willing to use whatever means necessary to save it, even by using Jin" Lars told the agents about his plans. "Surely, the United Nations understands that. We can't let either Heihachi or Kazuya do as they please with this ongoing tug-of-war between them. They must be stopped before the war only ends up killing more innocents" Lars added to his explanation.

Both Master Raven and Raven looked to their right and saw Jin in his coma. At this rate, he was completely defenseless, so it would only be disgraceful for them as ninjas to capture Jin in this condition.

"Very well. I understand your motives. As much as it disgusts me to allow that thing walk free in the world, there are some truth to your words, Lars Alexandersson" Master Raven remarked sternly, her eyes never leaving sight of him. "Therefore, we shall wait and see how Jin Kazama will make up for his wrongdoings. He did make good on his promise to defeat Azazel. But be warned. Should he repeat any of these offences, he'll be dead by my blade before he even knows it" she told him, even though the agent was issuing Lars a stark warning that was not to be taken lightly to.

Lars smiled weakly. He was glad to know that the agents would let him save the world, by using Jin, of course. But among the agents, only Master Raven seemed to be the one who was the most hardened. Raven was also hardened, yet he lacked the stern and calculating demeanor of his superior/older sister. Nevertheless, they were now willing to give him a chance.

The Swedish man held his right palm onto his chest. "You have my word. I'll not let Jin do as he pleases. And thank you for giving me a chance. I humbly appreciate it" Lars expressed his gratitude towards the agents, although he was specifically thanking Master Raven.

"Alright. Now that the cat's out of the bag, let's say we get to work here?" Lei suggested to everyone. "As you may know, I still haven't completed my task, which is to discover the history behind the…." Lei was interrupted by Alisa speaking.

"Multiple enemies detected. Tekken Force approaching!" Alisa spoke up while facing the door.

Everyone else focused their attention on the door and they could hear an explosion in the corridor. This only meant that someone was bombing its way into the facility. Without delay, Lars quickly moved out of the door to see who walked into the corridor. It was just as Alisa suspected. Members of the Tekken Force were taking their position and began firing at Yggdrasil soldiers.

"Sir! We're under attack! Two armored vehicles of the Tekken Force are parked outside the facility!" one of the soldiers called out to Lars before joining the fight.

Lars scowled in what he was hearing. "Damnit! The hounds are out! And just when we thought we were safe here!" the cursed in what he saw. But there was more to this Tekken Force squadron that was currently engaged with the Yggdrasil soldiers. They could see a large bear in Tekken Force gear commanding them. "What the hell…...is that Kuma leading the squadron!?" he wondered.

And it was indeed Kuma who was leading the Tekken Force squadron. The giant bear was moving his paw, directing his soldiers to push on through the corridor.

"(PUSH THE ATTACK! FIRE AT WILL! LEAVE NO SURVIVORS!)" Kuma growled out to command his troops while facing Lars and his friends. "(THEY ARE ALL WORKING TOGETHER! LEE CHAOLAN, LARS ALEXANDERSSON AND LEI WULONG! KILL THEM! AND RECOVER JIN KAZAMA!)" the bear added to his command.

As Lars began moving to join his troops, Lee walked up to Lei and watched as the shootout continued to a dangerous level. "My, my, it seems that the Zaibatsu must have followed us from the Bahamas. I never expected them to find this place" the silver-haired man noted.

Master Raven directed her anger towards Lei. "You weren't follow when you entered this facility, were you!? I told you should've come with us instead of walking into it randomly!" she berated the policeman.

"I swear to God, I was not followed! Before I entered I made sure that nothing…..." Lei was interrupted when he had to duck a bullet from one of the Tekken Force soldiers. As soon as he did that, Lei reached for his handgun and got up on his feet. "But look, this isn't the time for a discussion! We need to get Jin out of her as quick as we can! I'll help these soldiers while you figure something out!" the Chinese man told the agents and proceeded to join up with Lars.

Alisa ran after him. "I'll come along with you!" the android told him.

This left Lee alone with the agents. "Okay. Now what? It would be foolish if we let those Zaibatsu dogs have Jin. We can't allow Heihachi to satisfy his hunger for power. Do you have any ideas on how to proceed with this?" Raven asked Lee, who seemed to have an escape plan in mind.

"If I remember correctly, this facility has a helipad on it's rooftop, where a transport helicopter stands. If we could bring Jin to it then we would be safe" Lee revealed to the agents.

"Then you best get it operational soon as possible! And by the way, does the helicopter permits roping?" Master Raven asked the entrepreneur. "If it does, then we may be able to use it in order to hold carry Jin while on his bed" she pointed out while starting to run, with Raven and Lee following her.

Lee mused in hearing this. "Excellent! I like that suggestion. Lucky for us, the helicopter does have ropes. We best use it to our advantage. You will shatter the glass ceiling above Jin and then put on the ropes on his bed. Then we can transport him somewhere safe!" he told the two spies as they headed for the door that took them to the spiraled stairs.

Meanwhile, Lars was helping the soldiers of Yggdrasil in pushing back the Tekken Force onslaught, with the help of both Lei and Alisa. The Swedish man was firing his assault rifle at the enemy troops, as they found cover behind some crates in the corridor. He suddenly handed over something to Alisa.

"Alisa. Use this weapon! See if you can use it to push the enemy back into hiding!" Lars told the girl, who was given a chaingun.

"Roger! Leave it to me, Lars!" Alisa said in return and started firing the chaingun relentlessly.

While some of the enemy troops managed to move closer to their targets, Alisa's constant use of the chaingun managed to take out some of them. At the same time, they were stuck behind the crates, given that they needed cover for the shooting.

Lei whistled in amazement by seeing Alisa's talent with the weapon. "Attagirl! Keep firing! You're making them sitting ducks over there!" he encouraged Alisa while firing his handgun at the enemy.

Meanwhile, Kuma growled and watched from the opening in the wall as his men were pushed back by Yggdrasil's efforts. He was approached by a soldier, who had just fled from the shooting. "(GRRRR! DAMN THESE PESTERING REBELS! HOW ARE THEY ABLE TO DRIVE MY SQUADRON BACK INTO DISPOSITION!?)" he frustratingly wondered.

"Commander Kuma! That android is wielding a chaingun! She's forcing us backwards! But still, the enemy soldiers won't move an inch!" he informed Kuma while saluting before the bear.

Using his scanner in his helmet, Kuma managed to catch Alisa using the chaingun. He also noticed that the soldiers of Yggdrasil had not yet moved forward to continue the shootout. He was slowly starting to grasp the picture of their plans.

"(Now I understand. They are trying to prevent us from acquiring Jin! That would explain their refusal to move from their positions)" Kuma remarked, yet his signal also caught Jin lying on his bed. "(Just as I suspected! That insolent punk is lying there completely unconscious! We best get him as quickly as we can before…...)" Kuma was interrupted when he noticed something happening in the corridor.

Lars called for all his associates to pull back including Alisa and Lei. "Retreat! Retreat! We have them right where we want them!" the spikey-haired man told his allies and was standing in the doorway of the control room. The soldiers of Yggdrasil began retreating back into the control room. "Initiating Plan E! Evacuating all personnel!" Lars then called out, slamming his hand on a red button.

Before the soldiers of the Tekken Force knew it, every door in the long corridor shut themselves completely, thus preventing them from ever going after Lars and his allies. There were about four different doors before the one to the control room. As of now, Kuma and his squadron had no chance of pursuing them.

"Sir! They've completely blocked our passage! We're unable to capture Jin Kazama!" one of the soldiers told Kuma.

But the bear was not giving up just yet. "(Not on my watch!)" he bristled in return. Looking to the opening in the wall, Kuma began roaring out a command to those soldiers standing outside. "(SQUADRON! ACTIVATE THE WAR MACHINE! WE WILL NOT LET THESE MERE DOORS HOLD US BACK!)" Kuma roared and the soldiers standing by the vehicles all saluted before him.

Inside the control room, Lars was making sure every troop was gathered and ready to plan their escape. He also grabbed hold of some memory chips on the computer.

"The hideout's been compromised. Noe what?" Lei asked Lars, who was still busy packing things up.

"We'll seek refuge at the Violet Systems HQ in Kyoto. Unlike this facility, the HQ offers a much better security when it has Yggdrasil backing it up. It also houses a medical facilitation room where Jin can recover safely. But the only question is how we get him there" Lars answered the police officer.

But everyone snapped once the glass ceiling above Jin shattered and down came Master Raven and Raven. They were holding onto ropes, that came from the transport helicopter circling above the facility. Lars and his friends could see who was piloting it and smiled. It was Lee, always the cunning silver fox as he sometimes was known to be.

"Tch…smartass" Lars remarked with a scoff.

The two agents began tying Jin's bed with the helicopter's ropes. They had to be sure that the ropes held on tight, given that they were planning on transporting Jin in the air.

"Help us tie up the hospital bed! In the meantime, your troops can start climbing up the ropes to the helicopter! Now move quickly!" Master Raven told Lars and he, Alisa and Lei helped the agents with tying up the bed. The soldiers of Yggdrasil began climbing up the ropes to the helicopter, one by one.

As they were trying to make sure Jin was tightly secured, they could hear repeated bangs coming behind the door to the corridor. It was as if someone was blowing up the doors leading to the corridor. Alisa snapped, as she could detect something.

"Enemy war machine approaching! Accompanied by Tekken Force soldiers!" Alisa told her friends.

"What!? A war machine! In this facility?" Lars wondered in disbelief. "How the hell could they have gotten a…" he was interrupted by hearing an explosion. From the looks of it, it was as if the enemy had just arrived at the doors to the control room.

"Wait a minute! Don't tell me that the Zaibatsu has actually…." Raven was slowly beginning to realize something, and so did Lei.

In the minute Raven was getting to understand the picture, he was given the answer he sought once the doors to the control room exploded. Smoke appeared, yet the group of friends could see red lights shining through it. What emerged from the smoke was a gigantic robot, with strong, sturdy armor and lustrous weaponry. It was the robot developed by Mishima Heavy Industries, the once called NANCY-MI847J.

"Aw not again! This the Bahamas all over again!" Lei expressed his worries and irritation in seeing the NANCY appearing once again.

"I don't believe it! Did Heihachi really rebuild that thing?" Lars wondered.

"Apparently, he did!" Raven said, recalling the time he had managed to destroy the NANCY. "Given it's usefulness in warfare, it's not surprising that Heihachi would have it rebuilt and being used as a weapon against his enemies" he added to his assumption.

"I believe these "NANCYs" are the counterparts to the G Corporation's JACKs. But in my opinion, the G Corp has surpassed them on this level" Master Raven noted to herself. But time was short and she immediately directed her attention to Jin on the bed. "Alright! The bed has been tied up! It's ready to be lifted!" she told her comrades.

When hearing this, Lars got an idea and he knew just the right thing to do. "You two! Take Detective Lei and fly away now! Me and Alisa will distract this mechanical monstrosity! Me and Lee have an idea on how we can shrug off these hounds!" Lars told the two agents.

Lei was only confused in hearing this. He was sitting on the hospital bed. "Wait! What are you…." Lei was interrupted when the hospital bed were lifted up into the air. Both Master Raven and Raven joined the policeman in holding onto the bed.

"We see! You two do your best then. Try not to get yourselves killed!" Raven called out to the Swedish man and the Russian girl, who fully understood what the agent was saying.

Both Lars and Alisa stood their guard as the NANCY entered the room, followed by Kuma and soldiers of his squadron. They all had their weapons aimed the pair. Some of the soldiers even tried to fire their weapons at the hospital bed, but it was no use.

"(There's no place to hide now, rebel! We have you cornered! The insurgency ends here!)" the bear bellowed at the young man and his friend.

Not so surprisingly, Lars smirked at the bear's threats. "Heihachi sends his pet to take me? He must be desperate to have me killed if he sends you after my hide" the spikey-haired man tried to get under Kuma's fur.

Kuma growled at the jab. "(Respect me, Lars Alexandersson! You may be my master's illegitimate son, but that doesn't mean you deserve an ounce of my respect! The only thing you DO deserve is getting executed for your insolence!)" he spoke up while demonstrating his brutish nature that some bears possessed. He pointed his right paw at the pair. "(NOW, MY SQUADRON! OPEN FIRE!)" he commanded his forces to shoot.

"Care to dream, Kuma! Alisa, now!" Lars told his friend, who immediately activated her jetpack.

"Right! Hold on tight, Lars!" the pink-haired girl told Lars as she grabbed him and flew through the broken ceiling.

But Kuma and his forces were right underneath them, and he looked at the NANCY. The bear knew what to do in order to bring down both the pair and the helicopter carrying Jin.

"(READY THE ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES! WE WILL BRING THEM DOWN TO THEIR DEATHS!)" Kuma called upon the NANCY, who did exactly as the bear told it.

The NANCY began preparing the anti-aircraft missiles on its back, targeting both Alisa and the helicopter. But unbeknownst to them, Lee had already his own plans for them. He was clicking on his watch.

"Sorry Tekken Force, but it's time to say goodnight!" Lee said while clicking on what appeared to be a detonator to a bomb.

Before Kuma and his squadron knew it, the entire facility exploded. This was the plan of Lee and Lars. To lure Kuma, his men and the NANCY straight into the control room, where a bomb was lying in wait to be detonated. As they fled the facility, the facility was on fire, given that the bomb was not powerful enough to cause the entire building to collapse. But at the very least, Lars and Yggdrasil had managed to buy themselves time. Now they could head back to Violet System's HQ, without having to deal with chasing Tekken Force squadrons.

But even though they had succeeded in taking out the NANCY and the soldiers, the same thing couldn't be said for Kuma. Indeed, the bear was still alive. He made it out of the building using his brute strength. Yet despite having survived, Kuma was not pleased with how the mission's result.

"(DAMN THEM! THOSE MISERABLE WORMS MANAGED TO ESCAPE ME ONCE AGAIN!)" Kuma expressed his anger over the mission's failure. But the bear soon calmed his rage and he reached for his communication device on his helmet. He was not looking forward to it. "(The master's gonna come after my hide once he hears this. But I have to inform him about the fact that Lee Chaolan and Lars Alexandersson are working together)" he then said, realizing that he needed to inform Heihachi about not just the mission's failure, but the fact that Lars and his rebels was in league with Violet Systems.

* * *

 _On a containership in the middle of the Pacific Ocean_

The containership that was bringing over contestants in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 from the Americas was braving the seas as it made it's way through the storm. Despite the Tekken Force officers having reservations for doing this, Heihachi ordered them to sail straight into the storm. Otherwise, they would suffer the consequences. Even so, the officers were safe on the ship's bridge. But the same thing couldn't be said for the fighters who were striving to last in the tournament.

Due to the giant waves, the various duels across the containership was interrupted, given that they thought surviving the storm was more important. But as they were struggling, they failed to notice a giant rogue wave that was heading towards them from their left. But the minute they did caught sight of it, it was too late. Despite the containership's incredible size, the rogue wave was strong enough to actually sideswipe it. And not only that, some of the containers onboard were thrown off the ship. The fighters were also not spared from the wave's wrath. While many fell off, most fighters were able to resist the water and held onto their lives by the containers. But the water sent them into different places onboard the ship, especially those who were with friends.

Even those who stood on the bridge was feeling the wave's effect and it completely shut off the electricity on the boat. The officers were thrown off their balance. It took a while before they could come back to their senses.

"Oh my God…what the hell happened!?" one of the officers said as he got up on his feet.

"Fuck! We just took a big, fucking wave!" a navigator cursed, feeling so stressed out that he repeated the words.

"No shit! The electricity's gone off!" an officer who was near the control panel remarked as he looked outside. "And the containership has been sideswiped! Just look outside!" he added to his paranoia.

"Oh God! What do we do!?" another paranoid soldier asked while feeling like he was dying.

Fortunately for them, a soldier managed to calm things down. He took charge of the crew on the bridge. "Everyone! Calm down! We're still alive! And the ships not damaged yet!" he informed every one of his comrades while observing a map of the ship itself. "It would seem that we were too slow to react to the rogue wave, which is why we found ourselves in this position right now. But if we are to continue towards Japan, we will have to restore the electricity onboard this ship. Only then will we be able to move. Now as for the contestants outside, we have yet to know how many of them managed to be thrown off by the wave. But forget about them! Right now, restoring the ship back to capacity is all that matters" the commanding soldier informed everyone on how to proceed with their journey.

Slowly, the containership began rotating back to normal. But in the meantime, fighters had been spread across the ship or being thrown into the sea. Fortunately, the seas were much calmer than before, although the raindrops was still falling down upon the ship. And the clouds were still covering the skies, ranging from grey to black. Even so, there was no sight of giant waves ever again, much to the relief on those onboard the ship. Now, they would have to contend with how to recover from this unexpected wave attack.

Inside one of these opened containers, Julia Chang slowly recovered from her unconsciousness, yet she found herself being accompanied by the plumb man named Robert "Bob" Richards.

"Are you alright? Like me, you were also knocked into unconsciousness by that rogue wave. And somehow, we were sent inside this container" Bob informed her as he leaned against the wall.

Julia was not sure of what to make of this, yet she happily responded to his question in return. "I'm fine. Thanks for asking" the brunette said before noticing something. "Wait, have you been watching over me since you woke up from your unconsciousness?" Julia warily asked Bob.

Bob simply waved his hand at her dismissively. "Easy there, girly. I'm not that type of man who takes advantage of women. And given that I'm a gentleman, it would be very impolite of me to just leave you like this. Yes, that's way too dark for someone like me" the blonde-haired man assured Julia.

"Alright. I believe you. And from the looks of it, we're both tired too even fight each other, so I guess we could both use some rest" Julia said before glancing out of the container's exit. "That wave sure did throw a lot of people off the ship. I just hope my mother's not among them" she then hoped.

Hearing this made Bob cook an eyebrow at her. "Hold the phone. Is your mom also a participant in the tournament?" he quizzed her.

"Sure, she is! After all, it was she who taught me to fight. Believe me, I was first against her decision to come with me, but after what happened in the previous tournament, my mother has become slightly overprotective. So she has decided to come along with me this time" the brunette pointed out.

Bob mused to himself. "It sounds to me you have one, tough mom. I wonder if she's a good fighter. Either way, she is interesting me for some reason" he told Julia, before sitting down on his bottom. "Listen, as much as it's important for us to continue fighting, I say we better concentrate on finding our way. How about you and I have a truce, until we reach Japan that is?" he then suggested to Julia.

The young woman had to admit she was dumbfounded by hearing the plumb man's suggestion. But then again, he had just watched her recover from the concussion, so Bob seemed like a trustworthy man. And given how the ship was completely disorganized as a result of the rogue wave, it would be nice to have some company.

Smiling, Julia reached out a hand towards Bob. "You know what? I think that may be the best idea. And trust me, this is still only for this trip. But I happily accept your proposal. My name is Julia Chang, by the way" she introduced herself with a smile.

Bob shook her hand, feeling grateful to Julia's decision. "The name's Robert Richards…...but you can call me Bob. It's what most people know me as" he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you, Bob. Now let's go outside and see what we're up against" Julia suggested to him.

The two newfound friends then got up and moved out of the container to see what had become of the ship since the rogue wave hit it. The ship had been made a labyrinth. The wave had managed to move the many containers, thus creating a chaotic environment for the fighters. It was difficult to find which way.

But for some fighters, this was chance to form partnerships to survive. On a isolated area on the ship that had defeated fighters lying all around them, Armor King and Bryan Fury were now having their own discussion. They had both known each other from being "recruited" by the G Corporation to track down Jin Kazama and his allies. But ever since he vanished, the group had disbanded and each fighter had gone their separate ways. Now, they met again and it was a chance to relive the good times.

"So how have you been, amigo? I never expected you to actually enter this tournament" Bryan asked the masked wrestler.

"It's a personal matter. One that you will never understand" Armor King responded while looking at the cyborg. For some reason, he was feeling quite miserable. "Mierda! I was just having the fight of the lifetime, only for that wave to ruin everything!" he growled with resentment.

Bryan shrugged his shoulders, yet he understood the wrestler's thirst for battle. "I hear ya. Before that damn wave came, I was busy beating the living crap out of some smug fatass! Boy would I do anything to get my hands on him!" the pale-skinned man expressed his desire to fight Bob, given that they were fighting prior to the wave hitting the ship. But the cyborg seemed to have a form of plan in mind, and he looked at Armor King. "Speaking of which, how about you and me team up? You know, just like the good, ol' times" he suggested to the wrestler.

Armor King only glanced at the cyborg with his usual serious demeanor. "And just what makes you think I will? We both have different goals with regards to this tournament. I am an avenger, you're nothing but a psicópata" he responded, expressing his disapproval of Bryan as he said that.

Still, the pale-skinned man didn't seem to pay much heed. As a matter of fact, he was only encouraged to fight Armor King. As such, he stood in his fighting stance. "You know what? I say the same thing! Screw this partnership-building. I'd rather kick your arrogant ass to the curve! So bring it on, Mr. Luchador!" Bryan challenged him, slowly feeling the lust for fighting taking hold on him.

The masked wrestler responded by doing his fighting stance in return. "You challenge me? Mindless fool. You have just bought your one-way-ticket to hell!" Armor King responded and was preparing to assault Bryan.

But their fight was interrupted when a group of what appeared to be dangerous foes began surrounding them. Both Bryan and Armor King ceased their fight. From the looks of it, these thugs considered them to be easy prey. They would be proved wrong, as these two men are among the deadliest fighters who have taken out.

"Finally! Some collective action! Say, how about you and I have a little competition? Which of us can take most of these fools!" Bryan then challenged Armor King, this time to a competition.

Armor King was unsure about taking his words for granted. "Whatever you say. But don't get in my way, or you will become my prey!" he warned, and they both began taking out their enemies.

Inside a container that was almost off the ship, Eddy Gordo and Katarina Alves were sitting across one another, both having the urge to fight each other. That's right, even as the wave had hit the ship, the two Brazilians had been stuck with one another, each of them unwilling to trust each other. Bitter memories still remained in Eddy's head.

"So we get hit by a wave and STILL, we're stuck with each other? Great! This has to be a nightmare becoming a reality" Eddy groaned while facepalming.

Katarina only fluffed her hair in return. "Well, deal with it, burro! You've no idea how humiliating this is for me. I'm no damsel in distress, so I definitely don't need you to look after my hide" she spoke up to him.

Eddy was growing tired of hearing Katarina's sassiness and foulmouthed language. As a matter of fact, he rose up to his feet and so did Katarina. He was prepared to fight the woman.

"Then why don't we settle this score between us here and now? I dare you to come and badmouth my Capoeira once again, cadela!" Eddy dared her while swearing in Portuguese.

Katarina did not take kindly to those words. "Seu filho da puta! You're gonna eat those words when I'm done kicking you!" the woman with the sunglasses swore at him and was about to get directly physical with Eddy, only to stop when the two Brazilians could feel the container losing balance. Both snapped with shock. "What's happening!?" she angrily asked, while leaning against the wall of the container.

Eddy was also feeling stressful and he too was leaning against the container's wall, except it was the opposite of Katarina's. "Idiota! The container is losing balance because of us moving too much! Even as the storms have calmed down, the seas are still right underneath us!" the Capoeira fighter berated Katarina and realized that something had to be done if he was to survive and make it out. "Listen, woman. I'm ashamed of myself for asking you this, but we must help one another if we are to make it out of the container alive. Are you willing to listen to me on this one occasion?" he told her.

As much as Katarina wanted to kick Eddy in his face for suggesting this upon her, a part of her stayed her foot. She thought about this proposal and was pretty much agreeable to this slight truce.

"Alright. You have a point there. But please call me Katarina from now on. Now how do we really get out of this place?" she responded.

Eddy sighed. "Whatever. Now if we are to make it back to the ship, then we each need to stay against these walls and move slowly towards the exit. It's he only way to do in order to prevent the container from losing balance. Think you can do that?" he asked her.

The woman with the sunglasses only scoffed at this. "What kind of question is that? Of course, I can do that. I only hope you know how to do that yourself" Katarina replied in a snobbish manner, much to Eddy's irritation.

"Tch, you're definitely a headache" Eddy said and he slowly began sliding towards the exit, with Katarina following suit.

As they kept moving, they realized that the container was losing composure. In the nick of time, the two Brazilians managed to get out of the container before it fell into the sea. They were relieved and took their time to catch their breaths, given that they had jumped in the last minute before the container fell off.

But as soon as they were finished catching their breaths, they turned on each other. Katarina smirked at Eddy. "I'm not gonna lie, you really helped me in staying alive just now. But we can't forget the match between us. A winner has not emerged between us just yet" the brunette told him and readied her fighting stance.

The man with the dreadlocks narrowed his eyes and was also prepared for the fighting in return. "Fine by me, I never planned on being your friend in the first place" Eddy replied, ready to engage in combat once again.

Before either of the Brazilian fighters could make a move against the other, they were interrupted by someone, and it appeared to be a man. Both Eddy and Katarina looked to their right and left respectively and saw what appeared to be a muscular man. But he was no ordinary man. It was the American soldier named Bo Montana aka Rodeo.

"You two! Hold it!" Rodeo commanded them. "I'd like a word with each of you!" he added, remaining calm despite his militaristic attitude.

Katarina did not appreciate this interruption. "Who the hell are you? This fight is between him and me, so back off!" she snapped at the soldier.

Still, Rodeo didn't seem to care what she said. He was still determined to face the Brazilians. "I'm not here to antagonize each of you, Eddy Gordo and Katarina Alves. All I want is to ask each of you about something related to your pasts" he revealed while addressing them by their names.

This stunned the two Brazilians, yet Eddy was the one who seemed to be the most agitated. "What do you want from me? Is this about the fact that I was with the Mishima Zaibatsu? Sorry, but I don't work for those guys anymore!" Eddy told Rodeo, restraining the anger that was growing inside of him.

"Same here! I'm nobody's servo! Not even towards the bastardos at the G Corporation" Katarina spoke up her opposition to Rodeo's accusation.

"Then tell me what each of your goals is for entering this tournament. Does it have something to do with gaining power from the Zaibatsu? I doubt it's the case here" the US soldier asked them, much to their surprise. "Don't play dumb. I know that each of you have some motives. And they don't involve around money or power" Rodeo told the smugly, using the knowledge he had been given to by HQ.

Eddy felt like this man was almost interrogating him, yet he didn't feel like fighting Rodeo. Rather than being on the defensive, he decided to tell him the truth.

"I'm not here for revenge against Kazuya Mishima. I'm here to save a dear friend of mine from his clutches" Eddy revealed to Rodeo, yet Katarina was also listening to what was being said.

The brunette had to admit she was surprised to hear what Eddy was saying. "Hold the phone. Are you saying that Kazuya has managed to capture this friend?" she asked him, surprisingly with a gentler tone.

Eddy glared at Katarina. "No. But I fear given that Kazuya knows about my past membership in the Tekken Force, he will try using everything to get his hands on Jin Kazama. And that includes capturing and torturing those close to me. And there is only one person that I fear he will try capturing" he said, while slightly getting emotional when speaking about this person, which was indeed Christie Monteiro.

While Rodeo took pity upon Eddy's pain, Katarina was starting to feel something strange inside of her. It was as if she and Eddy had something in common. Although she was reluctant to say this, Katarina decided finally to speak up on what she had been through.

"You know…I guess you and I aren't so different after all" Katarina remarked, causing Eddy to watch her with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked her, hinting to his disliking of Katarina.

The sassy brunette removed her glasses and faced Eddy directly, her eyes bearing some hint of resentment. "You think you're the only one who has lost people close to you? Well think again, idiota! Because unlike you, the G Corp is already holding my father in captivity!" she revealed to him.

This came as a shock to Eddy, but a part of him didn't buy her claim. "Give me a break! Your father is a captive at the G Corp? Besteira! You worked for Kazuya, so there's no way he would've…." Eddy was interrupted by Katarina launching a kick on his right cheek. This sent the man with the dreadlocks into fury. "That's it! You're dead!" he yelled and was about to attack her.

But Rodeo stood in between the two Brazilians, thus preventing them from fighting each other. "Enough! Just take a moment and breathe! Listen to what each of you!" the US soldier pleaded to Eddy and Katarina, who stopped struggling and looked at him. "If each of you have a vendetta against the G Corp, then maybe you should focus on them instead of wasting energy fighting each other. This tournament's nothing but a farce" Rodeo pointed out to the two.

"A farce? What do you mean by that? I mean, we know Heihachi's motives for holding this tournament but still….." Eddy was confused by what the soldier was trying to say.

"Who are you, anyway? And how do you know so much about us?" Katarina demanded an answer out of Rodeo.

The soldier was about to walk away, yet he did look over his shoulder to face the two Brazilians. "The name's Bo Montana, but you can call me Rodeo. I'm in the US Army, and on a mission to put an end to Heihachi Mishima's playtime" he introduced himself and continued walking. "Look, I'm not gonna force each of you to join forces, but I'm just pointing out the obvious. If you wanna survive this round, then you may as well start realizing how bogus it really is. Do whatever you need to pass this round" he told them as he walked away.

Neither Eddy nor Katarina had words to describe the words that came out of Rodeo. They only watched as the US soldier disappeared from their view. While they found his advice preposterous, they couldn't deny how smart that tactic really was. Given that they had avoided getting thrown into the ocean by working together, perhaps they should do the same onboard this ship.

Even now, other alliances were being formed amongst friends, especially one between Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law. The two friends, who had previously battled the Chang-duo, was swept away from the wave. Luckily, they managed to hold onto one another, and had sought refuge in one of the many containers during the wave's attack. It was only fortunate that the container didn't get thrown off the ship. Now, they were venturing outside to see what had become of what was once a scene of brawling.

"Oww! I still feel the pain on my right cheek! That wave sure was a handful" Paul groaned while rubbing his cheek. He looked at his best friend. "You okay, Marshall?" he asked him.

"Sure, although I still feel that my head's been banged. I swear, being slammed into the container's wall was almost as painful was getting hit by a pan" the Chinese-American chef/fighter answered while scratching his hair. "But look on the bright side. At least we're still alive and in the game. We were fortunate enough to discover this opened container before the wave hit us" he then pointed out.

Paul nodded his head in return. "You got that right. But I'm afraid the same thing can't be said for the others, especially those Chang-ladies. They got taken by wave. But I'm not sure whether they're out of the game or not" the Judo fighter thought about their opponents.

"Now that you mention it, I wonder how many actually fell off this ship. I mean, this place used to be a sight of brawling and now it's a complete mess with all these containers" Marshall said as he looked around on the ship. So far the area they were standing on was isolated, and there was not a single soul to be seen. "I don't know what you're thinking Paul, but maybe the majority of the contestants has been thrown into the sea" he came to a conclusion.

"You think so…well, maybe they're…...UAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Paul was interrupted in his pondering when he fell through what appeared to be a hole on the deck.

Marshall was in shock and rushed over to see if his best friend was alright. "HOLY CRAP! PAUL! ARE YOU THERE!?" he asked hysterically when he could see that Paul was lying on the top of a container. It was just right underneath the deck. Marshall breathed out a sigh of relief. "Ah! Thank God you're okay! I almost thought you were dead" he added and jumped through the hole on the deck to join up with Paul.

The blonde-haired man groaned in pain while slowly raising his head up. "Ouch! There goes my other cheek!" he winced in pain before getting up on his feet. "Anyway…...what the hell just happened!? How can a hole exist on the middle of the deck?!" the American man added to his frustration.

It became apparent to the two friends that they were inside the containership's interior room. They also realized that it had many containers loaded. And not only that, the many fighters were actually continuing their battles below deck. It stunned the pair of friends.

"Holy smokes…was this happening before the wave came?" Paul wondered.

"I don't think so, Paul. From what I can tell, the rogue wave must've created some holes on the deck above us. And given how hard it is to navigate with all the mess onboard, the contestants are now taking their fights to this level. Unbelievable" Marshall expressed his amazement in what he was seeing.

Paul smirked, feeling all fire up to fight once again. "Well, Marshall. What do you say we continue where we left off? No giant, freakin' wave is gonna shatter our fighting spirits! We'll show that old fart Heihachi that we deserve to stay on this tournament!" he expressed his desire to continue fighting.

Marshall only chuckled in what he heard him say. "My thoughts exactly, pal! We best give our best shot" he told his best friend, also feeling fired up for the upcoming battle.

Back on the deck, the King had managed to save Michelle Chang from getting thrown off by the wave. Now, she was slowly recovering from her unconsciousness. The brunette was stunned by the fact that she was still alive and breathing.

"What? I'm still alive! But how?" Michelle asked herself.

"I managed to grab you in the nick of time before you were taken by the water" the voice came from King, who was leaning against a nearby container while having his arms crossed. Michelle was stunned, given that she quickly recognized the masked wrestler. "Are you feeling okay? I can't see any bruises on your, but what of….." King stopped talking as Michelle pointed a finger towards him.

"You…you're…you're King, aren't you?" Michelle remembered who this man was. "You're that Mexican luchador who helped build an orphanage for those poor children. I can't believe we meet again!" she exclaimed out of joy.

Despite hearing the positivity, King was still confused by Michelle's knowledge of him. "You've heard of me? That's terrific and all. But have you and I met somewhere before?" the masked wrestler asked the brunette.

"Don't you remember? It's me, Michelle Chang. We both participated in the first and second King of Iron Fist Tournaments. But those were many years ago" Michelle tried to make him remember her.

King soon realized what Michelle was talking about. He also seemed to see some form of connection between Michelle and the girl named Julia Chang. On another note, he noticed how they even had similar hairstyles. But King understood how Michelle knew about him, or more specifically his reputation.

"I see. You were a contestant of the first King of Iron Fist Tournaments? My predecessor was that as well" King replied.

The Native American woman was confused. "What are you talking about? Your predecessor?" she kept speaking, only to snap in realization when realizing what King was trying to pinpoint. "Hold the phone…you're saying you're a different King? But I was told that you were in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 3. If so…then who are you?" Michelle asked him, feeling awfully curious to know more about this man.

This was a part that King did not feel like speaking of. But given that Michelle was a friend of his predecessor, he decided to do that. "I was one of the many orphans raised by King in the orphanage he created. I spent my childhood admiring his fighting spirit. But before the announcement of the tournament, King was attacked and murdered by that vicious monster named Ogre. His death emboldened me to follow in his footsteps. I therefore took on his mask and carried the name King in his honor. There was no way that I was going to let everything he had built go to waste. In hopes of continuing the orphanage, I entered the tournament, which was actually the first time for me, but not for my predecessor" the wrestler told Michelle about his story, as well as who he himself was.

While listening to him, Michelle was immediately haunted by the past. It revolved around Ogre, he malicious creature who had sought to eliminate all champions of martial arts. She also recalled that Heihachi wanted to capture Ogre and mix the creature's blood with his in order to become immortal. To that end, he had stolen Michelle's pendant.

"I see. So that means the King I knew is long gone" Michelle remarked, slowly starting to feel the guilt hanging over her. But deep down, she knew this wasn't her fault. Ogre's awakening had nothing to do with her. Sucking it up, she faced King with a smile, even reaching out a hand towards him. "Well, it's still a pleasure to meet you, King II. I never knew that someone else was continuing his legacy" she told him.

King awkwardly shook hands with her. "Likewise. But cut out the number part, please. Calling me King will be enough" he told him.

"You're right. Sorry" Michelle replied. But the brunette soon realized that this King seemed to know something about her. "I take it that I'm reminding you about someone. Then you're probably thinking about Julia Chang" she told him.

The wrestler nodded his head in reply. "True. I've fought her in the past tournaments. Are you and her sisters or something?" he then asked the Native American woman.

Michelle was starting to feel a little embarrassed, yet she hid it from King. "Not necessarily sisters. More like mother and daughter. You see, Julia is my adopted daughter. We live in the same tribe in Arizona" she informed him.

King had to admit he was amazed to meet someone's parent. In some ways, he and Julia had this similarity when it came to being raised by an adoptive parent. "So, you are Julia's mother? I'm honored to meet you. It explains where she gets this free-spirited personality of hers from" he commended both Michelle and Julia's personalities.

Michelle giggled in what she heard. "Say, King. I know that we should concentrate on surviving this round and all, but I say that we do what we feel is best, given our conditions. Surely, you're too tired to fight, are you?" she suggested to him.

The wrestler nodded his head in return. "Of course. If we both relax here for a minute, then we can save up some energy. Besides, I'm under no obligation to follow Heihachi Mishima's twisted rules, especially with what just happened" King spoke up, before looking at Michelle. "Care to join forces? Until this phase is over, that is" he then suggested to her.

Michelle gave him a thumbs up in return. "Sure, I do! Besides, I want to see if you truly live up to your predecessor's legacy. Maybe I'll get to see you perform some impressive moves" the brunette told him, much to the amusement of King.

 _To be continued…_


	15. Suijin

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Suijin**

 _On the helipad of Violet System's HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

Having managed to escape an assault on their hidden facility, Yggdrasil and their leader Lars Alexandersson had now sought shelter in Violet System's HQ in Kyoto. Cooperating with the company's CEO: Lee Chaolan, the resistance movement would continue their goals of waging resistance against the warmongering plans of the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation. A good thing for Yggdrasil was the fact that they had succeeded in preventing Jin Kazama from falling into enemies' hands. Even now, they were on the top of the building's helipad, and loaded off their precious cargo.

Detective Lei Wulong from Interpol and the two agents from the UN's intelligence bureau: Master Raven and Raven, had assisted Yggdrasil with getting Jin away. Now, they along with Lee, Lars and the android Alisa Bosconovitch were conferring about their recent escape. But Lei was somewhat paranoid, given that he had watched of what became of the facility during their escape.

"Was that your plan all along? To draw the enemy into the facility and blow it up!?" Lei questioned Lee, unable to grasp what he had done.

Lee was completely laid back with regards to this. "Look on the bright side. We have Jin, which I believe means everything worked out beautifully" he told Lei, yet he could still see the detective not being comfortable about this. "And don't worry about the facility. The Mishima Zaibatsu will pay for the damage…...with interest, that is" he then reassured the policeman.

Lei felt completely dumbfounded by that statement. "Just forget I said anything" he then blurted out, realizing that there was no point in reasoning with Lee.

"The entrepreneur has a point. Risky as that move was, it was wise to not let the Zaibatsu get their hands on whatever files and clues the facility had. Such things must be exclusive. Therefore, I commend his decision to blow it up" Master Raven told everyone.

Lee was immediately flattered by hearing that comment, yet Master Raven didn't seem to have taken notice of it. "Your appreciation honors me, Master Raven" the white-haired man remarked, yet the agent was deaf to his attempt on charming her.

As they were speaking, the group could see that Jin Kazama was being loaded off the helicopter and was being moved by soldiers of Yggdrasil. Lars and his friends walked over to assess the Japanese man's current condition. So far, he was still in a coma.

"How is he doing?" Raven asked Lars while observing the unconscious Japanese man.

"He's still recovering. But I don't know how long Jin must remain in this state" Lars informed his allies while watching Jin. He was breathing yet remained completely motionless. "It looks like we'll have to delay the finale for the time being. Soldiers, get Jin inside. Take his bed to Violet System's medical facilitation room. Medics from Violet Systems will be waiting for you. Leave Jin in their care" he then commanded some of his soldiers, who all did as they were told.

While Jin was being moved inside, Lee decided to lead his friends into the HQ. As such, he walked first. "Well then, shall we go? Inside, we can discuss everything we've been through in peace and safety…with some glass of champagne, of course" he told everyone, once again trying to be the typical showman in front of his friends.

While they ignored his antics, they did follow Lee into the building. They entered Lee's office and each took their seats, from the chairs to the couches. Lee was sitting on his desk while facing his visitors. The air condition was on and it became comfortable to be inside Lee's office and the entire building as a whole.

It was there where Lei began a conversation with Lars, given that he had wanted to speak with him. "Listen, I don't mean to be a prick or anything, but when I first heard that Heihachi Mishima had an illegitimate son, I had expected him to be at least older. But I'm surprised that it was you who was that. I mean, you're so young" the Chinese man remarked while facing Lars.

The Swedish man only smiled at him in return. "Trust me, you're not the first one to be stunned by this revelation. Many others I've come across have had similar reactions" he assured him, before starting to get more serious with Lei. "And speaking of which, I hear that Interpol has placed you in charge of uncovering the truth about this Mishima-feud. Is that correct, detective?" Lars asked him.

Lei nodded his head in return and let out a deep sigh. "Yeah. That's right. And so far, I'm doing great with digging up info. But some important clues remain to be discovered. And since you are somewhat related to the Mishimas, I was hoping that you could perhaps help me with something" he explained.

"I see. But I'm afraid that I may not be much of a help to you, Detective Lei. Its true that I am Heihachi's illegitimate son and I do carry his blood within me. But I don't possess the Devil Gene" Lars informed Lei. But the Swedish man seemed to have more on his mind. "But even though I don't possess it, I can still tell you about why I was actually born. Over the years, I had always wondered how someone so ruthless as Heihachi Mishima could father a son with a random Swedish woman he met during a Tekken Force raid in Scandinavia. But I now understand the reason. Heihachi had fathered me to cast aside all doubt that he had the Devil Gene in his blood. That is the reason for why I exist" Lars told everything he knew, while getting slightly emotional about it.

Lei felt pity for Lars. As did Lee, Alisa and even the agents. They all realized that in reality, Lars resented Heihachi. And despite being a Mishima by blood, Lars was more honorable and compassionate. In a way, he reminded Lei and the agents of Jinpachi Mishima.

"I see. But even though you don't know much, you've actually given us an important clue, Lars" Lei assured the spikey-haired man, who was focused on him. "That's right. Even though you are a Mishima, you still don't have the Devil Gene, not to mention Heihachi's lust for power" he added to his observation of Lars.

"Another important factor to note…is the that your existence is proving the fact…that Heihachi Mishima never had the Devil Gene inside him. And that only confirms our hypothesis that the curse of the Mishima-bloodline…never began with Jinpachi" Master Raven pointed out the important details while facing Lars.

"Despite his unnatural strength, Heihachi never had the Devil Gene. And given that he fathered Kazuya, who was it…can only mean one thing" Raven spoke up his opinion on the matter.

Lee joined in on the conversation. "Yes. Kazuya must've gotten the Devil Gene from someone other than Heihachi. And since the old man didn't have it…...leaves only one suspect left" the silver-haired man informed everyone as they fully understood what he was saying.

"Yes. Heihachi's wife, as well as Kazuya's mother: Kazumi Hachijo" Lei spoke up grimly.

Lars and Alisa were intrigued by what they were hearing, especially Alisa. "So Heihachi Mishima was a married man?" the pink-haired girl asked her friends, not grasping the fact that someone as misguided as the old man could have ever been married.

"That turns out to be the case here, Alisa. But unfortunately, I know nothing about Kazumi. Her existence is a mystery even towards me" Lars admitted, he himself understanding who Heihachi's wife was, yet didn't know much.

Raven nodded his head at him. "Indeed. Don't forget, when you were born, Kazumi was already dead. The same thing can be said about Lee, given that he was adopted" the agent told both Lars and Lee while facing them simultaneously.

"While we have yet to find any evidence that directly connects Kazumi to the curse of the Mishima-bloodline, we have already realized that she was perhaps not the woman people we thought she was" the detective added to his statement. Master Raven and Raven understood what he was saying, yet Lars, Alisa and Lee were not following.

"Ah, that reminds me. How did your visit to that old retainer in Minami-ku go? I take it you learned something about Kazumi and the Hachijo household from him, correct?" Lee asked Lei and the detectives.

The moment Lee asked them that question, Lei and the agents all shivered. They began recalling back to the visit, which had given them a shocking twist at the end. At first, they had only learned about what kind of clan the Hachijos were. But that wasn't the most suspicious part. Lei began telling them what they had learned so far.

"Ah, what a pity. You didn't find the answers you were hoping for?" Lee asked them, trying to be supportive as possible.

"Correct. But even though he didn't find much, it was that song Moto sang was what really made us suspicious. He said it was a nursery rhyme sung in the Hachijo clan. But the way it went…it sounded too dark and superstitious" Lei told them, and even though he was somewhat reluctant in telling them this.

Alisa was starting to feel incredibly curious, given that Lei was mentioning a song. "A song? How does it go? Could you please tell us the lyrics?" the android asked him.

As much as Lei didn't feel like it, he decided to do that, as he knew his friends deserved to hear it. Perhaps then they would understand his and the agents' shock to hearing it. "Demon begone! Demon begone! Playing in the crimson river, in the mouth he lies. How long will his playing go on?" the detective began uttering out the lyrics. As he did that, Lars, Alisa and Lee all widened in shock over hearing what came out of Lei's mouth.

"Goodness…this is rather too dark for being a nursery rhyme…..." Lee expressed his opinion on the matter.

"Agreed…I never expected the Hachijos to be this…superstitious" Lars admitted, the Swedish man slowly beginning to grasp what the nursery rhyme was about. "And here I thought the Mishima clan was cursed….." he then admitted.

"Either way, this information only confirms the fact that the Hachijos was no ordinary clan. There is something more to them than meets the eye" Master Raven informed everyone. "That being said, I believe there are only three people in the world who possess knowledge about Kazumi and her family. The first two are Heihachi Mishima and his son, Kazuya. But I think we realize who the third person may be" the black woman told them before facing Lei.

The Chinese man's eyes widened in realization. "Master Wang Jinrei…" Lei uttered out the name lowly.

"You mean that elderly martial arts master?" Lars asked, recalling to the time he and Alisa had met Wang. He still remembered how Wang had told Lars that he reminded him about someone. Today, Lars couldn't help but to wonder whether he was talking about Jin or someone else. On the other hand, Wang had also warned him about Alisa. In a way, the elderly man's suspicions had turned out to be true, as Alisa had betrayed Lars when Jin reprogrammed her. But that was a long time ago, and Lars had that hard episode behind him.

"I heard that Wang has entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. He's on his way to Japan even as we speak" Raven revealed, causing both Lars and Alisa to glance at him in surprise. "We don't know how long till he reaches here, but the trip across the South China Sea is much shorter than the containership that is crossing the Pacific with contestants from the Americas" he added to his explanation.

Lee mused to himself in hearing this. "He must be really stubborn to be doing this. Men at his age should enjoy retirement, not traveling through dangerous seas. But then again, he is a revered laoshi after all" the silver-haired man expressed his admiration of the elderly man.

"True. But There is a reason that he has chosen to do this. After all, Master Wang feels that Heihachi and Kazuya are staining the legacy of Jinpachi. That may be the reason for why he has decided not to spend the rest of his days in peace when there is conflict all across the world. And worse, who knows what kind of evil source will take advantage of this global conflict? Somehow, I feel this battle is more than a struggle between two power-hungry warlords" Lei began emphasizing on what Wang's intent for joining the tournament really was. And was there indeed someone who was trying to take advantage of the war between Heihachi and Kazuya? The answer to that is yes, yet they had yet to find it.

"Anyway, it would be very helpful if someone as wise as Wing Jinrei joined our side in this conflict. But I don't know how many are actually interested" Lars informed everyone, before thinking about this half-nephew. "That being said, we will have to put everything on Jin if we are to end this war. Hopefully, there will be others willing to make the same commitment" the Swedish man continued explaining their plans in stopping the war.

* * *

 _Onboard a cruise ship in the middle of the South China Sea_

The ship carrying contestants from Eurasia to Japan was in for a quite a storm. Outside, hurricanes and typhoons were blowing furiously and it caused the waves to become more unbalanced. The giant cruise ship was braving the seas, yet the tidal threat was far from over. From the ship's left, a giant rogue wave was on its way to attack, ready to engulf the ship as a whole. In desperation, the Tekken Force officers on the bridge began steering the cruise ship, in hopes of preventing it from getting capsized by the rogue wave. But it was too late. The ship was moving at a slow pace compared to the rogue wave. Therefore, it was already futile. The wave would swallow them all.

"COME ON! DAMNIT! THIS SHIP'S NOT TURNING!" one of the Tekken Force officers on the bridge expressed his frustration with the situation they were in.

One of the navigators looked outside the window, realizing that it was too late. "IT'S GETTING CLOSER TO US BY THE MINUTE! STARBOARD INBOUND! WE HAVE TO CALL FOR HELP!" he exclaimed and headed towards the radar.

One of the soldiers quickly tapped on the various buttons, trying to get into contact with their superiors at the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ in Tokyo. They were desperate to reach them, given that they live were on the line.

"HQ! HQ! COME IN! THIS IS THE CREW FROM THE SHIP CALLED SUIJIN! REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE RESCUE! WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND A GIANT ROGUE WAVE IS HEADING TOWARDS US STARBOARD INBOUND! WE QUICKLY REQUEST RESCUE!" a soldier pleaded into the communication device, hoping to for a quick miracle to happen.

As the incoming wave was approaching, the contestants brawling on the cruise ship were soon notified about the immediate danger. They were even informed of this by the officers on the bridge. However, it was the screaming of the contestants fighting outside the halls and corridors that got everyone notified about the rogue wave.

"FUCK! THERE'S A GIANT ROGUE WAVE HEADING TOWARDS US!" an English fighter could be heard yelling. "WE NEED TO EVACUATE!" he added to his frustration while running with the crowds of fighters.

Everyone was getting desperate. They ceased whatever fights they were in and headed towards the nearest lifeboat they could find. So far, none of them had been put out in the water. But that didn't stop them from trying. At this rate, all they cared about was to survive this tidal nightmare, nothing else.

Amidst these desperate cries and prayers for help, the elderly man named Wang Jinrei was only standing still, people screaming and running past him to the nearest exit that would take them to the lifeboats. Despite the dramatic mood affecting everyone, Wang remained calm and composed, very unusual for someone at his age. He closed his eyes and thought as if he was alone in a room. What was he thinking?

"At this rate, I would be willing to accept my fate here on the seas. No man has the power to stop nature's wrath. Even I do not have the luxury. Therefore, I am prepared to face Gonggong with all his might" Wang told himself before opening his eyes once again. He was speaking of the Chinese water god who controlled the world's floods according to Chinese mythology. As stunned as he was, Wang didn't seem scared. Despite his eyes being weary, they possessed a hint of determination inside. This only signalized something. "But not today. Forgive, Jinpachi. But I cannot come to you just yet. I still have a promise I must fulfill to your dear daughter-in-law. Kazumi's plea has given me the strength to carry on. Therefore, I must continue. Surely you understand that, old friend. And do not worry. I have Mazu herself guiding me through this" he spoke while forming a smile beneath his long beard. Wang was thinking about his late friend Jinpachi. These thoughts had only encouraged the elderly man to be brave in face of this catastrophe. He was even speaking of Mazu, a Chinese goddess of the seas and protector of seafarers

As such, the old man went towards the corridors, not going in the same direction most fighters were heading towards. Wang did so in a slightly fast pace. He went down the stairs, heading down the bottom deck of the cruise ship. His direction had not gone unnoticed. Even now, many of the fighters couldn't help but to wonder why Wang was walking downstairs in face of this threat.

Among those fighters was the Irish assassin Nina Williams, the Russian soldier Sergei Dragunov, the Chinese Kenpo master Feng Wei and the Italian exorcist Claudio Serafino. These four people had taken notice of Wang being calm in face of this threat and they couldn't help but to wonder how he could behave this way, given his frail and old age. But then again, each of them knew the kind of fighter Wang was.

"Why is the revered laoshi heading that way? Surely, he can't expect to get himself alive from this ship" Feng wondered, the young man still getting intrigued to know more about Wang, given that his reputation was well-known throughout China.

"While I wouldn't normally go after someone, something tells me that the old man himself has a motive for heading to the bottom deck of this ship" Nina thought, starting to run in order to trail Wang. "When someone as infamous as Wang Jinrei is entering the tournament, there must be a reason. I think I'll find out more" the blonde-haired woman added to her observation.

"I wouldn't normally followed someone so blindly, but in face of this danger, this elderly man seems to find hope in face of this dangerous event" Claudio remarked, realizing that Wang was someone who was smarter than wat he appeared to be.

However, Dragunov, Feng, Claudio and Nina were not alone in following Wang. Soon, fighters such as Miguel Caballero Rojo, Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort, Hwoarang, Shaheen and Zafina all did the same thing. While some of them thought Wang was just a deluded man doing something insane, Shaheen and Zafina knew that Wang was a smart individual. Therefore, they were certain that he was planning on making an escape, but not in the same way as the majority of contestants did.

As Wang was walking in the bottom deck on the ship, he soon realized that he was being followed, yet didn't bother turning around. Instead, he simply closed his eyes and uttered words lowly.

"Dearie me…why are you youngsters so keen on following me?" Wang spoke up and Nina, Dragunov, Feng and Claudio all came out of hiding. The elderly man faced the four with a weak smile directed at the four. "I never expected you to take an interest in me, especially you two, given your ruthlessness" he remarked while glancing at Nina and Dragunov.

The blonde-haired woman narrowed her eyes in hearing this. While Dragunov didn't open his mouth to speak, she did. "I'm not taking interest in you at all, Wang Jinrei. What I do wanna know is why you are willing to head so far down here in the depths of the ship itself. Are you planning on burying yourself in a watery grave?" the assassin questioned him while crossing her arms.

Claudio had to laugh in amusement in hearing the Irishwoman's assumption. "Now that is no way to speak to your elders, signora. Given that you know the identity of this person, I suppose you know him better than we do" the Italian man remarked, earning him a death glare from Nina herself.

"At this point, fleeing from the tidal wave is all but futile. It will eventually come and capsize this ship. Everyone will be doomed" Feng spoke up his mind, yet the Chinese man seemed to have grasped what the elderly man was thinking on.

"Which makes it foolish for someone like you to waltz down to the bottom deck" Nina spoke up while facing everyone around her.

Wang was somewhat confused. "But did you not just do the same thing?" he questioned the blonde-haired woman.

Nina did not appreciate that question. "It's none of your damn business, old man" she told him, yet Wang seemed far from intimidated.

"All hope is not yet lost" the voice came from the other side and it was Zafina, who was being accompanied by Shaheen, Lili, Hwoarang and Miguel. The Egyptian woman faced the elderly man with a sign of determination in her eyes. "Yes, I have seen it too. This wave alone will not become the end of us. That may be what you have foreseen, isn't it, Wang Jinrei?" she then asked the elderly man.

Wang nodded his head weakly in return. "Indeed, child. I have decided that I will not let Gonggong's wrath kill me. I have a promise I must fulfill to someone" he replied while smiling beneath his long beard.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!? There's a giant wave that's about to swallow us all, for God's sake!" Hwoarang blurted out, wondering how these people could act this way despite the danger.

Shaheen only glanced at him with eyes of displeasure, as did certain other fighters such as Zafina, Nina and Feng. "Be still child and listen to your elders. This must be one of your many liabilities as a fighter" the Saudi Arabian man told the Korean man, who was feeling agitated by being scolded like this.

But apparently, Hwoarang was not the only guy to feel confused by this. Even Miguel was expressing similar thoughts. "Dios mío! Surely these guys must be complete fools to think if they can escape the ship through this place!" he thought, the Spaniard unable to grasp what these people were planning.

Lili, while feeling horrified by the situation she was in, knew that something was strange about Wang, given how someone as fragile a him was acting all calm amidst this tidal threat. "What's with this old man? Isn't he at least distressed about the fact that he will die in the sea!?" Lili could not understand his feelings.

Wang closed his eyes in order to feel the essence of the ocean, which was actually right outside. From what he could tell, the rogue wave was near. The elderly man knew what had to be done.

"Listen carefully, young ones. There is no escaping the wave's wrath. It will hit this ship and completely ruin any chances for using the lifeboats. But given that the ship will be capsized, there is a chance that we will make it alive. When a ship at this size gets capsized, where do you think the best place to be at would be?" Wang asked everyone as he was prepared to hold onto something.

Lili was amused by the elderly man's question. "Are you telling us that we will survive while the entire ship is turned upside down? It sounds farfetched to say at least" the young girl expressed her opinion on the matter.

"He doesn't mean that, you dimwitted brat" Nina interjected while crossing her arms. "While the entire ship is getting capsized, the bottom deck is the one who is spared from the commotion!" the assassin told Lili, although she was making sure everyone else head what was being said.

Miguel was not feeling trustworthy about Nina. "And what makes you think we're gonna listen to you, puta? You're nothing but an assassin licking the shoes of Jin Kazama!" the Spaniard swore at Nina.

Hwoarang admitted he was surprised to hear someone like Miguel know about Jin. Was he also a rival? Had Miguel battled Jin at some point in the past? Meanwhile, Lili was finding common ground with the aggressive Spaniard, given that she also resented Jin for his actions.

Nina glared at Miguel. "Do you ever shut up? If you don't care about surviving then you might as well drown yourself to death. The less buffoonish men that I need to have around me, the better!" the assassin coldly berated him.

While Miguel became pissed off in hearing this, he was not alone. Even men such as Feng, Shaheen and Dragunov didn't welcome her tone, and they each wanted to physically assault Nina. Wang stepped in and faced Nina dispassionately.

"This isn't the time for petty squabbles. Our lives are at stake here!" the Chinese man berated Nina before facing everyone around him. "Youngsters, I implore to you. I have zero interest in meaningless quests for vengeance or drive for greed! The only thing that I really care about is to end the war that has affected the entire world. Therefore, I must make it out of this machine in one piece…even if I must put my old bones to the test" Wang explained his reasons for entering the tournament, as well as his drive to survive.

While some of the fighters found the elderly man's statement to be absurd, Zafina, Shaheen and even Claudio could sympathize with his quest. In their eyes, Wang was rather brave to try and reach for such lofty goals, despite his frail age.

"Okay….so you wish to save the world….but what does that even mean for…UAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Hwoarang and the others were interrupted as they felt the entire corridor moving. They were all forced against the wall, as if the ship was being moved.

"COÑO! WHAT IS THIS SHIT!?" Miguel angrily asked in desperation as he was forced against the wall.

"Allah help us…." Shaheen prayed lowly while struggling to withstand the pain he felt on his back. "IT'S THE ROGUE WAVE! IT HAS HIT THE SHIP!" he called out to everyone.

"MON DIEU! BUT HOW DO WE EVEN SURVIVE THIS!?" Lili angrily asked, feeling herself getting dizzy by all this moving.

Despite this hardship, Wang remained firm. "HOLD ON TIGHT, YOUNG ONES! IF WE ONLY CAN MANAGE TO LAST THE WAVE, WE CAN THEN FIND A WAY OUT OF THIS GIANT SHIP! MAZU WILL PROTECT US!" the elderly man encouraged everyone while quoting the Chinese goddess of the seas. Although he didn't recognize each of these fighters, Wang understood that they had followed him to the bottom deck for a reason: he knew how to survive and escape from this sinking ship.

Outside, the view was not a pretty sight. The rogue wave immediately hit the ship on its right side, the enormous mass of water slamming itself into balconies, windows and lifeboats alike. For the contestants who were trying to flee, it was inevitable. They were taken by the wave's strength. Even those on the other side of the ship had no luck either, as the ship was now getting capsized. That only meant those fighters on the left deck were in for a watery grave, as the rogue wave forced the ship to sideswipe itself. And given that some of the windows of the ship was already shattered to begin with, it was easier for the water to force itself into the many rooms.

The view inside the ship was nothing better. Fighters and staff alike were thrown off into the opposite and sinking side, with each and every room turning upside down. From halls to the kitchen, people were killed either by being crushed by pianos and machines alike, or getting tossed into the wall. The Tekken Force officers on the bridge was not so fortunate. They had been the rogue wave's first victims as the water had forced itself into the bridge, shattering it's windows like it was nothing.

As the cruise ship began to gradually descend into the sea, explosions erupted simultaneously. They came from places like the kitchen or the machine room. Either way, none of the contestants managed to survive them, given that they were close to the corridors where the fires were swirling through. As such, these people were burned to death.

Once the capsizing was complete, the cruise ship was lying on the water upside down. The ship's two giant propellers were still moving, but only for so long. Every light onboard the ship had been shut off. The majority of the contestants and the crew had all drowned in a watery grave. At the same time, various objects such as chairs, tables and other furniture were falling to the depths of the ocean. This alone only signified the death thousands of men who had all chased the dream to become the King of the Iron Fist. It was a fool's journey.

Now what happened to the group of fighters who had actually guts to stand in the bottom deck during the wave's rampage? Given that all electricity on the ship had been shut off, they found themselves standing in the dark upside down. Metaphorically speaking, they were standing on the ceiling, as it was the floor that was now above them. Since the lights didn't work, the fighters had to rely on flashlight to see clearly. Fortunately for them, Nina and Dragunov appeared to have those and they were immediately switched on.

"Alright. Good thing I had this stashed beneath my dress" Nina thought while moving the flashlight so that she could spot the others. Dragunov was also doing the same thing. "Alright, is everyone okay?" the blonde-haired woman asked them nonchalantly.

While Wang, Claudio, Feng, Shaheen and Zafina seemed to be alright, Hwoarang had Miguel lying over him. But Miguel had Lili sitting atop his back, and the Monegasque girl quickly got off the brown-haired man and went over to join the others.

"I'm fine, thank you very much" Lili told them with a huff. She then looked smugly over her shoulder to see how Hwoarang and Miguel were doing. "But I guess the same thing can't be said for them" she noted.

Hwoarang was struggling to get Miguel off his back. "Come on! Get off me, ya damn dirtbag!" the Korean man told the Spaniard.

Miguel was rubbing the back of his head, yet he quickly got off Hwoarang. It would seem that he had also hit his back quite hard. "Besa mi culo! I'm just trying to recover after almost getting my back broken!" he cursed, yet managed to stretch himself in order to get his body back on track.

The auburn-haired man with the eyepatch only snorted in return. "Whatever you say…shithead" Hwoarang said in return.

Unfortunately, Miguel could not stand being spoken to like this. He turned around and proceeded to glare at him angrily. "Oye! What's with your fucking mouth?" he rudely questioned the Korean man. Surprisingly, he was grabbed on his shoulder by Shaheen, who shook his head at him. The Saudi Arabian man was trying to convince Miguel not to let his temper get the best of him. As pissed as the Spaniard was, Miguel decided to take Shaheen's advice and so he walked away.

Once he was gone, Shaheen directed his attention towards Hwoarang, his eyes filled with disappointment. "Next time, try using your head instead of your mouth. You can't seriously be this stupid" the man wearing the shemagh told the young man before moving to join up with the others.

Hwoarang shrugged his shoulders, still not getting how Shaheen could be this strict towards him. "Why does he act dicky towards me all of a sudden? He's nothing like Master Baek if he thinks he can lecture me!" those were the words on Hwoarang's mind as he moved to join up with the rest of the fighters.

Wang was leading the group to the end of the corridor, even though everything had been turned upside down. But in the next one, they all were in for a surprise as they entered a corridor that had many broken smaller windows. Because of that, a small layer of water could be seen underneath them. Even so, they were still on the surface, given that the cruise ship had not sunken just yet. But slowly, it was beginning to that, minute by minute.

"It would seem that because of the wave, this seems to be our only way to get on top of this sinking vessel. It was only fortunate that you all decided to stay in the bottom deck with me. It has given you the chance to survive. Be thankful for it" Wang firmly told everyone as he jumped into the water.

Feng, Zafina and Shaheen joined him, each of them watching as if the elderly man was preparing to punch the wall with the broken windows. But for some others, this idea seemed ludicrous.

"Hold the phone. You're not seriously planning on punching a hole in the wall, are you? You're freaking crazy! If you do that, you'll only end up breaking your own bones, old timer!" Hwoarang insisted to Wang.

"For once, I agree with the punk. Maybe you should let the professionals handle this" Nina expressed her thought with regards to this, yet a part of her wanted to observe the strength of Wang Jinrei.

Despite hearing these comments, Wang did not seem to care. "I do not require you to speak, only to stand and watch!" the elderly man sternly told them.

Claudio stroke his hair in amusement while listening to this. "Hmm….you really are a stubborn, old man" he mused to himself while observing Wang's intent.

The elderly man was standing his ground, ready to destroy this wall of metal with all his might. But could he succeed? Wang Jinrei was only a mere human, not to mention that he was growing frailer by the years. On another note, Wang was a resilient fighter, being able to stand on toe to toe with the mighty Jinpachi Mishima himself.

Focusing everything on his inner strength, Wang took his time to gather up energy before feeling it in his hands. Despite his hands being wrinkly, they were still powerful enough to inflict damage upon objects, including a wall. Opening his eyes, Wang landed the punch on the wall, his hand reaching it as fast as the wind itself. After a few seconds, the wall before him started to crack. As a result, Wang had created an opening, and it was only a few meters above the sea. Those around him were only left speechless by the level of strength the old man possessed.

But Wang treated this as if it was not that big of a deal. He gazed out of the big hole he had created and watched as the seas continued moving, although it was hitting the ship. But so far, the winds had died out, and the seas were no longer as unruly as they were before.

"It would seem that the storm has passed" Zafina remarked while glancing up to the skies. "That being said, where do we go from here?" the purple-haired woman asked everyone, although she was specifically facing Wang.

Wang only chuckled to her what she asked. "No need to fret, child. Let Mazu guide our path" he answered her.

Miguel was growing tired of hearing Wang mentioning this person. "Just who in the hell is this Mazu!? You're going loco once again, senñor!" the brown-haired man expressed his annoyance with what Wang was saying.

But he was given a glare by Feng, who did not appreciate the way Miguel was speaking to the elderly man. "If you must know, then I am more than humbled to inform you, repulsive fool" the Chinese man told him, much to Miguel's anger, yet he refrained from getting confrontational. Feng continued eyeing the Spaniard with dispassionate eyes. "Mazu is the Chinese goddess of water as well as the protector of the seafarers. You would do well to respect our culture, ignorant man" Feng continued his criticism of Miguel, while also lecturing him about Mazu.

Lili was fascinated by what she heard Feng explain to him. "Interesting. I wonder what she looks like, this Mazu" the blonde-haired girl spoke up.

Shaheen mused to himself in hearing this. "Indeed. I have sometimes expressed intrigue in China and their customs, especially with regards to their faith" the Saudi Arabian man admitted to everyone.

"The same goes for me. In Egyptian mythology, there are many gods who are associated with water. But the one most recognizable is Sobek, the God of the Nile river with the head of a crocodile" Zafina explained, filling in on what the gods of Egypt were like.

"Okay, maybe I need to step in here for a minute. While I do respect your religion and all…...I still can't understand how that should…" Hwoarang was interrupted when he and the rest of the group could see an inflatable raft float right before the opening. "Help us…..." the Korean man finally finished his sentence.

Everyone was surprised by how this raft could appear in front of them so randomly. But they decided that this would have to be pure coincidence, not the result of prayers from Wang.

"Dios mío…" Miguel was left speechless by this.

"Oddio…" Claudio exclaimed in disbelief.

"Mon Dieu!" Lili couldn't believe her own eyes.

Zafina looked at Wang in awe. "There is no mistaking it…you also have the power to change fate…why didn't I see it before?" she was filled with so many questions with regards to the elderly man and his extraordinary abilities.

Even the usually cold Nina was surprised by this turn of events

Still, Wang jumped on the raft, looking over his shoulders to face the others. "Alright, young ones. This raft is enough to carry us all. Take your seat" he told them gently.

One by one, the fighters jumped onboard. They then paddled out to the seas, watching as what had become of the cruise ship. It was slowly sinking into the sea, causing the fighters to feel relieved that they were still alive.

"To think I managed to survive this wreckage…my mind must be slipping away from me" Shaheen remarked while watching the ship.

"We were supposed to last onboard the ship until we reached Japan. But because of the wave capsizing it, I believe such program is fruitless" Feng joined in the conversation.

Dragunov had not opened his mouth to speak once. But he had thoughts like everyone else had. He too was glad to have made it out alive. But on the other hand, Dragunov had hoped this accident would not disqualify him from the tournament. It was his mission to enter it for the sake of the Russian motherland.

"At any rate, I was hoping to find some relaxation on this ship. Turns out it was just an utter disappointment" Nina uttered out coldly.

"Meh. It wasn't that fancy, anyways. I've seen better cruise ships than this" Lili expressed her thoughts about this ship, yet Nina was completely ignoring her as a whole.

Claudio faced Wang. "Now then, Wang Jinrei. From where do you suppose we go? Are we supposed to paddle all the way to Japan? To me, it sounds almost impossible. How can we even know where the direction towards Japan is?" the Italian exorcist asked.

As soon as Claudio was finished asking him that, everyone on the raft were surprised to hear the sound of what appeared to be a helicopter. Looking up, the group of survivors could see that it was a transport helicopter belonging to the Mishima Zaibatsu. Therefore, it was most likely piloted by officers of the Tekken Force. Before the wave had hit the ship, the officers on the bridge had sent a SOS call for help to HQ. It was only natural now that they would respond to the call for help.

The pilots on the helicopter were in for a shock once they got a glimpse of what had become the cruise ship. But they were even more shocked by the fact that there were some survivors left among the contestants.

"Holy hell…just look at this mess!" one of the pilots asked in disbelief of what he saw. "How in the world can one lousy cruise ship suddenly end up in this position!?" he added, not getting the fact that the entire ship was destroyed, even though he never knew the reason why it happened.

"Didn't you hear the SOS? A giant rogue wave appeared and managed to capsize the ship to this condition. Everyone onboard died…...well almost everyone" his comrade answered, yet didn't speak as if it was that big of a deal. The other pilot didn't seem as concerned with the ship as his partner did. In fact, he was more concentrated on the fact that there were survivors of this wreckage. "Forget the ship. The boss will be happy to know that someone has managed to make it out alive of this giant piece of scrap. We'll let him know the fact that given how they survived the rogue wave, they are worthy of continuing in the tournament" he went on explaining what they should do.

The pilot nodded his head. "Of course. Right away!" he said and began contacting HQ, knowing certainly that Heihachi would be pleased to hear the news.

* * *

 _On the rooftop of the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

The contestants who were brawling on the top of the skyscraper were all braving themselves for the unknown. So far, many fighters had either been knocked out into unconsciousness or even thrown off the building. Everyone was desperate to make it to the next round that they would do whatever it took to last. The only person who took amusement to this was of course Heihachi himself.

Given that he was watching the events on a giant screen in his office, Heihachi knew that he held the power over them. That also meant creating transitions on the battleground. Musing to himself, the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu knew just the right tools to use with regards to testing their capabilities.

In the middle of the rooftop, what appeared to be a circular platform suddenly began falling downwards, taking with it a portion of fighters who were on busy conducting their own battles. The platform fell so fast, and all the fighters were fearful that they were about to fall to their deaths. Surprisingly, the falling stopped and everyone managed to catch their breaths.

They were all outraged by what had just transpired, and a deep chuckle could be heard all around them. It came from Heihachi, the old man taking pleasure with what he was doing with these fighters. Most of them scowled when hearing voice through the speaker.

" _Well then, brave warriors. Did you enjoy my little game? I could not resist toying with you in order to test your resolves. And to put your lives to the test, I have decided to make some transitions with the battleground. It was unfortunate of you all to be standing on this platform. The rest of the contestants are on the rooftop continuing their brawl!_ " Heihachi told them before laughing deeply to himself once again. The fighters were feeling resentful towards him.

But in the minute Heihachi laughed, mechanical arms along the edges of the platform began pulling the platform up. It was almost as if it was an elevator, except for a completely different concept. The fighters wondered what sort of tricks this was.

" _Now you all know what must be done! Which of you fighters can last this trip to the top of my tower!? I am dying to find out which of you can impress me! So, don't disappoint me and give everything each of you got! Those of you who are still standing when the platform reaches the top will be considered worthy of proceeding towards the next phase of this tournament!_ " the voice of Heihachi informed everyone, this time giving them the reason for why he was doing this to them.

Once everything became clear, the fighters on the platform already began brawling between one another, some of them having to pick up new fights, given that Heihachi had rudely interrupted their previous ones.

The British boxer named Steve Fox was among them. Even though he couldn't kick, his punches managed to have his foes getting stars swirling over their heads. But still, the young man was still embittered over how Heihachi could treat him and other fighters like animals fighting for survival. It agitated him.

"Bloody hell! I almost thought I was gonna die in that fall!" Steve expressed his frustration before docking a kick from an opponent, proceeding to deliver him an uppercut which knocked him out of his senses. "I better make it to the next round. Because I wanna punch that old wanker Heihachi straight in his face!" he added, feeling so tempted to just knock the hell out of the old man.

But Steve was in for a surprise when he spotted what appeared to be a soldier who was similar to those in the Tekken Force. However, this soldier seemed different, given that his uniform consisted of serious armory. And although he had no weapons, he seemed more than willing to fight Steve. This was the solider named Crow.

Steve smirked to himself before readying his gloved fists for combat. "So you wanna have a got at me, mate? Well, that's fine by me!" the blonde-haired man said before running straight towards Crow. "Because I always enjoy beating the living shit out of lapdogs of the Tekken Force!" he exclaimed out in slight anger, not hiding his open hostility towards the Mishima Zaibatsu and their subordinates.

But as Steve was trying to punch at him repeatedly, Crow managed to block them with ease. This stunned the British boxer, and he was forced to block a kick coming from the soldier. Still, it only encouraged Steve to continue fighting this mysterious man in armor.

"Heh! You think you're a hotshot, eh? Well too bad for you, guv! It's too soon to get cocky with me!" Steve bellowed while proceeding to charge at Crow, who was more than prepared to retaliate against him.

Kunimitsu, who was in the middle of a duel against her sworn foe Yoshimitsu, had also been forced to pick up new opponents. This had left the red-haired kunoichi bitter, given that she was close in claiming Yoshimitsu's blade as her own.

"Damn you, Heihachi Mishima! You ruined my chance of obtaining my grandfather's sword!" Kunimitsu exploded into fury, feeling more than willing to assassinate the Patriarch of the Mishima clan right now. But something stayed her hand, given that she was attacked by someone from behind. Surprisingly, Kunimitsu managed to detect the attack and got away from whoever did it as soon as possible.

Landing on her feet, she quickly reached for a kunai and saw who the supposed attacker was. It was JACK 7, the gigantic robot directing his wrath towards the kunoichi now. "Target acquired. Commencing elimination of target" he spoke while analyzing the woman.

Kunimitsu scowled at this. "Great. Now I'm being harassed by one of the G Corporation's toys!" she expressed her dismay over the situation she found herself in. But still, the redhead curled her lips into a smirk and got into a fighting position once again. "Then again, I've always wondered whether one of them are capable of matching up to my speed. I better go and see for myself!" she exclaimed and proceeded to run straight towards JACK 7.

Despite Kunimitsu being faster than him, JACK 7 was still not backing down from this fight. As a matter of fact, he even ran straight towards Kunimitsu while yelling, much to the kunoichi's confusion. It was apparent to her that he was trying to charge into her. But given her flexibilities, Kunimitsu easily managed to avoid getting hit by jumping above JACK 7. Their fight was on.

The Brazilian woman named Christie Monteiro sudden found herself getting confronted by none other than the G Corporation's poster girl: Lucky Chloe. What intrigued Christie was the blonde-haired girl's breakdancing.

"Are you ready?" Chloe challenged Christie while performing some of her moves for her to see.

The Brazilian woman was amazed by this. "Whoa…you really do have rhythm in your moves. It may be similar to Capoeira….." Christie remarked before she got into fighting position, demonstrating her moves for Chloe to see. "But I still got the rhythm and the beat within me! No goofy cosplayer is gonna beat me to it" she said proudly.

Lucky Chloe only frowned with what she heard her opponent tell her. "You say I lack the beat? You cocky jerk!" the blonde-haired girl explained as she began charging at Christie. They both clashed with their feet. "I'll have you know that I'm a natural talent when it comes to dancing to music! Nobody dances to J-pop better than me!" Chloe added with a smirk forming on her lips.

Christie responded by moving her other feet and proceeded to kick Chloe in her stomach. But Chloe was quick on her feet and tried to land a kick on Christie, only for the Brazilian woman to avoid getting hit.

"Oh yeah? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a fan of J-pop. Samba's more my style! Care to prove me whether J-pop has what it takes?" Christie taunted her opponent while daring Chloe.

Chloe simply dismissed her taunts as nothing but an attempt to provoke her. Still, the challenge tempted the cosplayer in some way.

"I sure will! Trust me, you're gonna be sorry for messing with me: Lucky Chloe!" the blonde-haired girl hit back and proceeded to launch herself at the Capoeira fighter. "And I'm gonna make sure you never badmouth J-pop, ever again!" she added to her determination.

Still, Christie was confused at her opponent's outrage. "Since when did I ever insult J-pop?" she quizzed Chloe with a raised eyebrow, yet got ready to defend herself from the raging cosplayer.

Meanwhile, the only fighters who managed to resume their fight before the platform was being thrown down by Heihachi's dirty tricks, proceded with it just as they had done it on the top of the building. It was the one between Asuka Kazama and Ling Xiaoyu. The two girls had been disturbed by the way they had been thrown down. But once the mechanical arms began pulling the platform up again, they both batted away foes who dared come at them.

The two girls were willing to continue their fight, having each started to build some form of animosity towards each other. It involved of course Jin Kazama, with each girl having different opinions on him with regards to his actions. Asuka and Xiaoyu each glared daggers at each other, not willing to back down from this fight.

"Maybe you're just kidding yourself, girly! There's no way that bastard Jin could ever have any redeeming qualities! He trampled upon my family name without remorse!" Asuka told her opponent, trying to make her see the foolish mistake of befriending him.

Still, Xiaoyu remained defiant in front of Asuka. "You shut up! Jin was never a monster, not even towards his worst enemies! He had compassion!" the Chinese girl spat at Asuka's allegations.

The brunette only scowled in seeing this. "Compassion, my ass! He started a war that has caused many innocent lives! How is that compassion!?" Asuka hit back, demanding to know how Xiaoyu could hold onto such beliefs. So far, she received none. "Well? I'm waiting for an answer, girly!" the Japanese girl asked, still wanting to know.

Instead of answering, Xiaoyu let her emotions control her once again. Crying out in anger, she charged straight towards her, trying to land a kick at Asuka's head. But Asuka blocked it, and proceeded to land a punch on her opponent. But Xiaoyu caught wind of it, and managed to dodge her punch with ease.

"You talk as if you know anything that Jin has had to go through! But you know nothing at all!" Xiaoyu spat and moved her left fist at Asuka, only for the brunette to grab it. Asuka then tried to punch Xiaoyu with her free hand, yet the Chinese girl managed to grab hold of it. The two girls were locked in a power struggle to bring the other backwards. "Therefore, someone like you have no right to judge Jin, let alone speak to him in this manner!" Xiaoyu added to her anger.

Asuka gritted her teeth in frustration. "You still wanna be his consort!? Fine! Do as you wish!" she retorted before proceeding to give Xiaoyu a headbutt. This sent her a few meters away. But Asuka was not finished just yet. "But don't expect me to be forgiving towards you!" the brunette added to her harsh words.

Xiaoyu only wiped off the blood from her lips and only glared at her opponent in a similar manner. "As if I would let some wannabe tomboy like you beat me! And for the record, I'm not even scared of you, not one bit! I bet your father is even embarrassed over to have someone as aggressive as you as his daughter!" she then decided to get under Asuka's skin.

Unfortunately, this only increased the rage inside the Japanese girl. So she decided to get very real with regards to the fighting. "THAT'S IT!" Asuka roared and she began launching her assault on Xiaoyu, only for the Chinese girl to be prepared for the incoming attack.

While the fighters were busy lasting on the platform, the rest on the top of the building were continuing the brawl as if nothing had changed. Few of them had taken notice of the platform, yet these contestants were more focused on lasting in the tournament.

Among these fighters was Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen. The German girl was having her hands full with the G Corp's newest biomechanical weapon: Gigas. The very sight of this creature horrified Leo.

"So this is what it really looks like up close…I'm at loss for words here!" Leo remarked, yet she had to move quickly in order to avoid getting mauled by Gigas. The blonde-haired girl remained steadfast. "Even by now, I can tell that this thing…...was once a normal human being…..only for Kazuya to capture and to with him as he pleased…" Leo added to her analysis, her voice hinting to disgust at Kazuya and his actions.

Despite being bestial and primitive in nature, Gigas was not slow in chasing his opponents. The red-skinned behemoth turned his attention towards Leo, roaring before slamming his powerful fists on the ground.

Leo realized that this was no time for having second thoughts and prepared herself for combat against Gigas. "Given that you are a victim of the G Corp's experimentation, I'm reluctant to actually fight you. You've endured so much harm already. There's no need for me to do more" the blonde-haired girl told him, yet Gigas was deaf to her words. He only obeyed the orders of his superiors, nothing else. Clenching her fists tightly, Leo knew there as no other way. "But given the circumstances…...I have to do this! Please don't hate me for this…...whoever you are…." Leo said, feeling sympathetic towards her foe, despite him being associated with the G Corp. She knew that Gigas was loyal to them involuntarily.

Fortunately, not every conflict was as serious as the one between Leo and Gigas. The Philippine woman named Josie Rizal was having her hands full with several fighters. Although some of them viewed her as an easy prey, they were all underestimating Josie's fighting capabilities. As such, they got what as coming to them. On the other hand, Josie was very optimistic about this round.

"Alright! This is it! If I can last this round and make it to the next, then I'm certain that my salary will be higher! I can't let Mr. Mishima down!" Josie was determined to continue the fighting, even as many of her fellow members of the Tekken Force would doubt her abilities. But she was now being promoted as Kuma's second-in-command. Therefore, she would have to prove herself. "I hope Commander Kuma gets to know about my efforts once this phase is over! He'll be proud!" she was confident, although her commander was technically…a bear.

As fights erupted on the rooftop, Yoshimitsu was being confronted by Ganryu. The Sumo wrestler was tough enough to face the member of the infamous Manji Clan, despite Yoshimitsu's reputation. But as they were about to fight, the two exchanged words between one another.

"I am disappointed, Ganryu. You were a champion of the Sumo world, only to have been reduced to this: an immature child and a servant of Kazuya Mishima. You embarrass your ancestors" Yoshimitsu explained what he thought of Ganryu.

Despite hearing these harsh words, Ganryu was far from crying. "That's all in the past! I admit that I have committed mistakes, but I'm learning from them!" the Yokozuna told the swordsman, his eyes narrowing further. "And as for your opinions on me, I never chose to become Kazuya's lapdog. That only happened due to a lie he told me!" the Japanese man insisted to his opponent.

Yoshimitsu had a hard time believing the Sumo wrestler's claim. "And you honestly fell for his lies? That alone only demonstrates your naivety, Ganryu" the swordsman pointed out, not mincing his words while saying this.

Hearing these words only infuriated Ganryu. As such, he angrily began charging towards Yoshimitsu with all his speed, even though he was too big and fat to run this fast. But Yoshimitsu was faster, and he avoided getting slammed by Ganryu.

But despite this, Ganryu didn't give up on chasing the swordsman. "How can you judge me!? I almost thought that my Chanko Paradise was in trouble due to Kazuya and his associates planting a bomb in my restaurant! Think about all those innocent customers who could've died!" the middle-aged man cried out, yet Yoshimitsu was more focused on attacking him rather than speak. But on another note, Ganryu felt the same thing. "So you're still gonna give me the silent treatment, huh!? Well, be my guest! Because I don't plan on letting someone like you stop me from getting my hands on Kazuya and his cronies!" Ganryu signaled his determination to continue fighting.

"Then prove it, simpleton!" Yoshimitsu dared his opponent to get serious.

Back in Heihachi's office, the boss himself had learned about the fact that there were survivors from the wreckage in the South China Sea. He was speaking on this phone to some of his subordinates. This brought so much satisfaction to the old man, as he knew that there had to be someone who would do that kind of thing.

"Excellent! Just as I had expected from Survival of the Fittest! I will personally go and observe these survivors once they reach Japan" Heihachi expressed his delight, before turning his gaze towards the window. The sun was going down, and it was almost nighttime. Yet still, Heihachi didn't feel like spending it in his tower. He had something else on his mind. "And while you are at it, send a limousine at HQ. I wish to stay at the Mishima Dojo for the night. I require some time off from all these pesky interviewers and their foolish superiors" the old man said before putting the phone down.

Walking up from his chair, Heihachi stood by the window and glanced outside. It was as if he was thinking about someone. And probably for the first time, it had nothing to do with Kazuya. Rather, it was about someone else. Even so, Heihachi knew who this person was.

"The Archers of Sirius may not be my allies for now, but they have given me plenty of information about certain groups they consider as threats. Among them is this secret order of cultists hiding in the shadows: the Acolytes of Pluton" Heihachi noted to himself while observing the sun going down. His eyes narrowed with disgust. "If they think they can use me to their own advantage, then they are foolishly mistaking. I will show them why" he added while forming a grin with his teeth.

Unbeknownst to Heihachi and his subordinates, one certain individual was indeed observing the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ from a far distance. Believe it or not, this man was actually standing on the top of Tokyo Tower. As the sun was going down, the night soon appeared. This only gave this person the answer that he has been wondering about. Heihachi was willing to meet him in person, but not in the HQ of course.

The man called Revenant began facing the distance, which was outside the enormous cityscape of Tokyo. His glowing purple eyes from his mask never left sight of his supposed target.

"You finally want to meet me? How convenient" Revenant spoke through his mask, his feet slowly starting to levitate from the pillar he was standing on. The mysterious cultist was prepared to fly towards the place his target was: the Mishima Dojo. "Then let us begin the visitation. And this time, you will not pull any tricks on me….Heihachi Mishima!" Revenant added before he flew towards the outskirts of Tokyo. There was no turning back now. He would be willing to face and challenge the King of the Iron Fist himself.

 _To be continued…_


	16. The Crow From the Darkness

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: The Crow from the Darkness**

 _Inside the Mishima Dojo, somewhere in the Japanese countryside_

Heihachi Mishima was sitting all by himself inside the main hall of the Mishima Dojo. It was a training dojo, owned by the Mishima clan and henceforth the Mishima Zaibatsu. The main hall contained a large Buddhist shrine to which Heihachi sat before it. The dojo had wooden floors and several statues adorning the sides. In other words, it was the perfect place for people to hone their skills in becoming martial artists. After all, the dojo had been started by Heihachi's father: Jinpachi Mishima.

But for Heihachi, the dojo was more than just a place for fighting. Sure, he had trained inside this very hall since childhood, when his father was the one running the dojo. But there were also personal reasons for why he held this place in high regard. Not far from where the old man was sitting, something had been written on the floorboard. Two names stood there: Heihachi and Kazumi. Those names had been written in the style of Aiaigasa, a romantic expression to show love between couples.

Indeed, it was in this dojo where Heihachi first met Kazumi, both starting out as rivals in their class. But as they both grew into adulthood, the two former rivals cultivated a romantic relationship between each other, eventually resulting in marriage. Those some of the few good memories Heihachi had of this place. But on the other hand, there existed also bad memories of the dojo. This was also the same place his beloved wife had died. How she did so continued to haunt the Mishima Patriarch do this day. Even so, Heihachi surprisingly managed to compose himself, and not let his emotions divide his mind.

Heihachi was in deep silence, listening only to the fires that were blazing in the hall. That silence ended soon, when the doors of the dojo opened. A powerful burst of wind came through and it blew all the lights out, even the braziers. This darkened the hall. Still, Heihachi remained unmoved, the old man still sitting on the floorboard as if nothing was disturbing him. The burst of wind soon ended, thus paving the way for someone to enter the hall.

Heihachi grunted once he heard who it was. "Hmm. I was wondering when you would show up" he spoke up to whoever was behind him, still remaining seated on the floorboard.

The figure who had entered the dojo was the mysterious figure known as Revenant. He was the leader of a shadowy order of cultists known as the Acolytes of Pluton. Now, he was entering the Mishima Dojo, intending on confronting the old man personally.

"You have been expecting me? How quaint of you to say, Heihachi Mishima" Revenant spoke through his mask, taking small steps in the process.

Heihachi couldn't help but to smirk as he heard that. "I know all about you and your little cult, heretic. Thanks to the knowledge I gathered from Claudio Serafino of the Archers of Sirius, I no longer have any reason to fear you. Nothing more than a bunch of crazed madmen worshipping their own demise" the old man insulted Revenant and his organization.

Still, the insult didn't provoke the masked man to attack Heihachi. "Careful what you say, old man. Relying solely upon that order of nitwits for information is fruitless. Their leader, Claudio Serafino, is blinded by his own arrogance" he told the old man. "But then again, I suppose you are well as, Heihachi. I find it hard to believe how you and him ended your alliance so soon, given the similarities you share. You should think twice before resorting to your own ego. Kazumi told you that, didn't she?" Revenant then revealed, trying to get under Heihachi's skin.

The moment Heihachi heard that name being spoken, he briefly looked over his shoulder, glaring at the masked man with the glowing purple eyes. Apparently, shock had taken hold on Heihachi.

"Kazumi…how on earth do you know that name?" Heihachi demanded an answer, yet Revenant didn't seem obliged.

"You ask how I know that name? Its simple, really. Your name and hers are written on this very floorboard in the style of Aiaigasa. How else could I have…" the masked man was interrupted by Heihachi's angry voice.

"Drop the jester-act! You can't fool me with this nonsense!" Heihachi barked at him. He did not expect someone like Revenant to know not just him, but his deceased wife was well. His eyes narrowed with anger. "Who the hell are you really, stranger!? Are you an assassin of the Hachijo clan!? Have you come here to avenge Kazumi's death!? Answer me!" he demanded an answer out of Revenant.

The mysterious figure took a few steps towards the elderly man, even stepping on the text that was written on the floorboard. He metallic hands clenched. "Me? An assassin of the Hachijo clan? You must be more delusional than I originally thought you were. That clan died out decades ago! What remains of it are nothing but mere relics of the past. But the Acolytes of Pluton are eternal, as the shadows have given us refuge from the surface!" he answered, before preparing himself in his fighting position. It was obvious he was challenging Heihachi. His dark and purple-glowing power even began showing itself around him. "I challenge you, Heihachi Mishima. The world has had enough of you and your pitiful family. It's time for true leaders to take reigns of it!" Revenant introduced himself, although he was still not giving Heihachi his true name.

Regardless, Heihachi was more than keen on taking on the challenge. He stood up and turned around to face Revenant, lightning bursting all over him as a result. Despite seeing his opponent's power, Heihachi was far from intimidated.

"Heh. It would seem to me that wasting time with words lead us to nothing. And I see you are too stubborn to think you can actually take on the likes of me!" Heihachi said, even grinning at the thought of challenging this mysterious fighter he had never encountered before. "Very well, heretic. I accept your challenge! But be warned! I will show you no mercy!" the old man added to his declaration.

"Then combat me, deluded fool!" Revenant dared Heihachi.

The Patriarch of the Mishima clan only responded by charging straight towards Revenant, to which he did the same thing. As such, the two clashed by their fists. But surprisingly, Revenant managed to sidestep Heihachi, therefore elbowing him on his back. Heihachi was forced to the floorboard, yet he was not finished so easily. Revenant was trying to land a blow on him, only for the old man to avoid it with his quick wits. Getting up, Heihachi proceeded take on his opponent. Revenant tried to kick him, only for Heihachi to dodge it. Unfortunately, Revenant was not finished, and proceeded to deliver one of his metallic handpalms right to Heihachi's chest, thus sending him crashing into one of the giant wooden pillars holding the hall. The pillar broke, yet Heihachi was not out of the fight.

"Hah! Pathetic!" Revenant taunted and was about to punch Heihachi against the pillars. But Heihachi caught wind of him and delivered a powerful fist straight into the masked man's stomach. Being paralyzed for a couple of seconds, Revenant's shoulders were grabbed by Heihachi, who then slammed him into the nearby wall.

Heihachi performed his Demon Breath technique upon Revenant, sending lighting straight into his opponent. Then, he grabbed the masked man by the collar of his hood and delivered a powerful headbutt, thus sending Revenant crashing into the wall.

The old man smirked in seeing what he had created. "Heh! Lousy punk!" he commented.

But amidst this wreckage Heihachi was created, a pair of purple eyes could be seen in the dust. The old man was too slow to react as Revenant suddenly emerged out of the dust, holding a ball of vicious wild energy in his right hand. Revenant thrusted it against Heihachi, sending him flying once again. But Revenant was not finished with him and jumped up, in hopes of continuing beating the old man senseless. Heihachi blocked his attacks, yet he couldn't block Revenant grabbing him by his head. The masked man proceeded to throw Heihachi to a pillar close to the Buddha shrine.

Meanwhile, Revenant floated in the air, laughing while seeing Heihachi groaning as he got back on his feet. "How embarrassing! The so-called King of the Iron Fist, being tossed easily like a dead prey! I almost feel sorry for you!" he exclaimed while mocking Heihachi's dignity.

The old man felt his pride getting insulted by Revenant. As such, he felt more than willing to get his hands on this mysterious fighter. "You obviously have no idea whom you are fighting! I am stronger than the average human being! One who is closest to the Gods!" Heihachi boasted pridefully before charging towards Revenant.

"You closest to the Gods? Don't make me laugh!" Revenant spat back and tried to attack Heihachi from above.

But that proved to be the masked man's strategic mistake, since Heihachi already planned his moves. As soon as Revenant neared him, Heihachi performed his Wind God Fist upon him and Revanant was knocked off his balance. But that didn't stop Heihachi from grabbing him by his throat, lightning empowering his grip on Revenant. He then proceeded to throw his opponent to another pillar, causing it to break apart as a result. Revenant was forced to his knees.

While getting up, Heihachi merely crossed his arms while watching Revenant getting up. "Claudio was right about you. You really are inhuman. And from what I know about this cult of yours, you had indeed some involvement in the corruption of Jinpachi. Nevertheless, I am not foolish to fear someone dressed like an impoverished beggar! That exorcist was clearly exaggerating when telling me this" he expressed his opinion of his opponent, who had gotten up on his feet. The old man scoffed at this with his shoulders. "Still think you can beat me? Then allow me to put you out of your misery!" Heihachi declared, once again willing to take on Revenant's challenge.

"How very observant of you, Mishima. It seems to me that the exorcists were useful to you after all" Revenant said, preparing his fighting stance once again. "And yes, we had some involvement in Jinpachi's resurrection beneath Hon-Maru, yet there is only one misconception to your claims" the masked man told him, yet Heihachi was having enough of these words. He decided to let his fists do the talking.

In the minute he was about to clash with the mysterious fighter, something interrupted their match. Barging into the hall from the ceiling were numerous JACKs. These once seemed to have the same model as JACK 6. Even so, they were not particularly advanced as JACK 7. However, their interruption only made Heihachi and Revenant focus on them instead of each other. So far, about six JACKs had appeared, yet it was certain more was to come to the dojo.

"What in the hell are those damn things doing in my dojo!? I thought I had seen the last of them!" Heihachi wondered, yet he suddenly realized who owned these JACKs. The old man knew who it was that had sent them to this specific place. "Of course! They are with the G Corporation! Damn you…...Kazuya!" he sneered while mentioning the name of his son.

Surprisingly, Revenant also seemed to know what the JACKs were, let alone who had sent them to his place. "I see. This must be the work of that loathsome son of yours. Only the G Corporation are capable of producing pestering toys such as these. It's coincidental that you and I share a distaste for JACKs" he spoke through his mask. But his metallic hands began empowering themselves with this energy of his.

Heihachi only grunted. "Hmm…...don't get all cozy with me! I don't need you to remind me of my enmity towards Kazuya and his puppets!" he barked, while preparing to engage in combat against the JACKs. "Which leads me to say this, how about we postpone our fight for a while? The sooner those things are gone, the quicker we can continue our duel!" he told his opponent, before proceeding to punch a JACK straight through its stomach.

Revenant also seemed to have the same plan in mind. He also wanted to deal with these robots. And so, both Revenant and Heihachi put aside their feud for now and combated against the raid of JACKs. Despite them being many, the two fighters were more than capable of handling the JACKs. As they battled for survival, Heihachi got the chance to see Revenant's power in action. He was stunned, yet impressed at the same time. The power the masked man carried was unlike anything he had ever seen before. It was even different than the Devil Gene. Whatever it was, it filled Heihachi with nothing but intrigue. In turn, Revenant had to acknowledge Heihachi's strength, which was not that of an ordinary human. Still, he believed he was superior in every way.

Once Revenant had destroyed a JACK by piercing his metallic hand through its stomach, Heihachi felt like it was time to continue where they left off. But still, he wanted to know more about this mysterious person.

"Impressive fighting prowess you have, heretic. That power of yours is indeed intriguing" Heihachi commended him. "But tell me, what kind of power is this? It's nothing like that of the Devil Gene…yet it may have some similarities. At least tell me your name" he continued expressing his interest.

Revenant only looked at Heihachi, his purple eyes glowing through his mask. "I am Revenant, the man who will change this world through the shadow of Pluton itself. The Gods of old will return to this Earth. With the world already in disarray, only they can bring back stability and order. Such fate is inevitable" he told the old man of his motives. "Now as for your late father, his resurrection was the Gods' doing. By calling to us for aid, we helped awaken the entity that dwelled beneath Hon-Maru. As such, the Gods thought Jinpachi could do their bidding. But to our surprise, the old man managed to overpower the entity and arranged the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5 in order to get himself killed" he went on explaining how he and his cult had been involved in Jinpachi's descent into darkness. He was confirming the fact that he and his followers had been involved in Jinpachi's return.

Heihachi crossed his arms while looking at him with nothing but contempt. "Gods? Hah! Who needs Gods when there are men like me who are fit to rule this world!?" he barked, before forming a sarcastic grin on his face. "Besides, your ideals are nothing but foolish. You probably haven't realized that creatures such as Ogre, Azazel and Angel are all gone! As such, you and your followers are only wasting your lives chasing such dreams!" Heihachi tried to get under his opponent's skin.

Still, Revenant remained unaffected by this attempt. "Imbecile. Your assumption mirrors that of a child's beguilement. One must always expect the unexpected. Did you not learn anything of it from your deceased wife?" he replied, stunning Heihachi as he mentioned the woman once again. "That's right. I know all about your tragic family history. Your dearest Kazumi had only one purpose: the protect the world with her own life. Her clan had foreseen you in becoming this warmongering man you are today. Therefore, they wanted to make sure that both you and your precious son were killed. Yes, if only she had succeeded in assassinating you that night…Kazumi would have taken Kazuya's next! Because her bloodline was never meant to continue. Such powers were too dangerous to be spread across humanity" the masked man continued showing him these revelations.

Hearing this made Heihachi drift back into the past. It was memories that he would never forget. It froze him for a while. Even so, the old man came back to his senses and immediately launched himself at Revenant in full speed.

"SHUT UP!" Heihachi yelled as he tried to slam his empowered fist upon his opponent, only for Revenant to avoid it. As such, he ended up punching a hole in the floorboard. He could see that Revenant had moved to another location behind him. Heihachi was furious. "Don't you speak as if you know the truth…...YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THAT NIGHT!" the old man lashed out against Revenant.

To his agitation, Revenant chuckled in amusement, feeling proud of what he had just done to tick Heihachi off. "Don't I? Hah! How could anyone not know the true story of this "so-called" Mishima-feud, as well as it's supposed "cursed" bloodline? I bet that deep down, you are just miserable that you were never born with the Devil Gene, Heihachi Mishima" Revenant spoke up, in an effort to provoke Heihachi.

This time, the old man held back his rage, yet he still felt more tempted to angry launch his wrath upon his mysterious opponent. But instead of resorting to his rage, Heihachi decided to pull his punches on Revenant once again. As such, he formed a cunning smirk.

"You think I would have the need for such witchcraft? Not a chance in hell! My strength and power are all I need!" the old man said before readying in his fighting stance once again. "But then again, that power of yours has really caught my interest by surprise. If it was in my disposal, I could accomplish great things for the entire world, as well as achieving immortality!" Heihachi added, revealing his desire for power once again.

"You mean to capture me and steal my powers?" Revenant asked, laughing out loud at the old man's wishes. "Such idiocy! Immortality is not so easily obtained as you think. And if I recall correctly, you failed to capture Ogre and mix his blood with yours, let alone claim Angel's power as your own. So what makes you think you could accomplish such feat with me!?" his asked, once again laughing at the absurdity of Heihachi's desires.

Instead of opening his mouth to retort, Heihachi responded by charging straight towards Revenant, the two powerful fighters continuing their duel. Now that most of the JACKs were out of commission, they could continue without disturbances.

They even prepared to clash with their hands, and it was bound to create ruckus inside the dojo. Regardless, none of the combatants dared to back down from this confrontation. Such notion was meaningless. This was after all a battle to the death.

"Welcome to your nightmare!" Revenant cried while gathering purple energy in his arm.

Heihachi responded by empowering his arm with lightning. "You only deceive yourself!" he hit back and proceeded to clash with the masked figure.

This ended in a stalemate and each of them were sent flying away from one another. Even so, both men were willing to continue fighting. There was no one stopping them. But on another note, Heihachi had grown weary of Revenant and wanted to deal with him as soon as possible. At this rate, he didn't care about capturing and studying his opponent. He just wanted Revenant dead.

"THIS…...ENDS…NOOOOOOOOW!" Heihachi roared as he gathered lighting all around him, although he was empowering his right fist.

Revenant charged towards the old man, he too growing weary of this fighting. "YES! IT ENDS FOR YOU!" he hit back and was about to attack Heihachi.

But the old man caught wind of the masked man's moves and performed the Kidney Smasher on Revenant. While he was numb, the old Mishima proceeded to launch him into the air with this Twin Pistons. As Revenant was in the air, Heihachi prepared his Heaven's Wrath move and was ready to use his Demon Breath once again.

"DIE!" Heihachi roared and delivered the final blow upon this foe, thus sending him crashing into the wall.

Knowing that this move was the one that would often result in opponents getting killed, Heihachi was satisfied over his victory. He turned around and was about to walk away from this mess. Unfortunately, something made him stop his movements. It was the voice belonging to his supposedly defeated opponent.

"Where do you think you are going, arrogant fool….." this voice made Heihachi snap and he was filled with outrage.

"What the…IT CAN'T BE! HOW ARE YOU STILL…" Heihachi turned around and watched in slight horror as his opponent was floating above the floorboard.

The energy began completely surrounding Revenant, and he was now fully unleashing it for the old man to see. His eyes were glowing purple, thus adding to the monstrosity that he really was. How power was so incredible that t actually made the entire dojo shake a little.

"You thought you won!? You are blind, Mishima! I will demonstrate the true meaning of defeat!" Revenant declared and he unleashed his powers. He also showed some of his moves by vanishing from his spot, appearing in front of the doors to the dojo. He was blocking Heihachi's passage. "There is no escape from you!" Revenant called out while unleashing terror all around him.

Although Heihachi was in awe of this malicious energy that came out of Revenant, the Patriarch of the Mishima clan still refused to back down. With all his anger, he ran straight towards his masked foe, only for Revenant to shoot out a blast of energy, which sent Heihachi in the air.

"Prepare yourself for death!" Revenant called out to his opponent.

Revenant floated above the floorboard, charging his attack while waiting for Heihachi to fall into his reach. When he did that, the masked man launched his powerful spinning attack upon Heihachi, sending the old man crashing into the Buddha shrine. The crash was so powerful that it began setting the interior of the hall on fire.

Believe it or not, the attack had forced Heihachi onto the floor and he was panting while being onto his knees. Fires were spreading all across the hall, and burning wood even fell from the ceiling. Still, the battle was not over yet, given that Heihachi refused to yield, let alone beg for mercy.

"Damn you…creature! I WILL MAKE YOU REGRET THIS!" Heihachi roared, yet Revenant was floating above the air and was preparing one final attack upon Heihachi.

"Hell awaits you! NOW DIE!" Revenant exclaimed, delivering his final blow with a blast.

Heihachi only responded by trying to attack this mysterious foe with his own strength, yet it caused an explosion. Once again, Heihachi was sent flying, yet he flew out of the dojo and into the nearby wilderness. Because of the explosion, the fires burned out. This left Revenant in the ruined hall all by himself.

Chuckling deeply, Revenant knew that victory was his. "Now this is a satisfying victory! The great Heihachi Mishima himself defeated in combat! I admit that I almost feel disappointed in that old man!" he told them while laughing out sadistically. Revenant then turned his attention to the bring moon shining upon him. It was clear he had already figured out his next move. "Now that the patriarch himself has ben taken care of, it's time to deal with his son. Kazuya Mishima will be next on my list. I can't wait to torture him emotionally!" Revenant declared and exited the dojo, leaving nothing but ruins behind him.

* * *

 _Inside a computer room in the Millennium Tower, G Corporation HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

While this intense duel had taken place inside the Mishima Dojo, there had been some observes to watch the match. During the fight, a squadron of JACKs had interrupted Heihachi and Revenant, thus forcing them to postpone their fight. Unbeknownst to each of them, the JACKs were still able to film and document everything they were seeing to their superiors.

Inside a computer room in the Millennium Tower, the G Corporation's HQ, Kazuya Mishima had been watching everything that the JACKs had recorded during their assault on the Mishima Dojo. He was joined by his two closest associates: Bruce Irvin and Anna Williams. Now, they were able to reflect on what they had seen in the fight while being informed about Heihachi's fate.

"An explosion has been confirmed at the Mishima Dojo! But we've lost sight of Heihachi Mishima!" a soldier who sat by a computer told his superiors.

"My, my, what a spectacular show we just saw" Anna remarked in amusement of what she had seen on the computer screen. "I bet something like this would receive thousands of views in only 10 minutes" she then added with a hint of humor in her voice.

Her compatriots found none in her statement. "Quit acting so damn casual-minded, Anna! Didn't you hear what just happened? That old bastard got himself blasted off once again" Bruce berated the brunette before observing the screen that showed Revenant walking away from the dojo. "And who the hell was that monk with the gas mask? Has he ever been seen before?" he wondered while asking one of the soldiers who sat by the computers.

"No sir. He's not registered in our database" the soldier answered Bruce while tapping on the keyboard in hopes of gaining more knowledge of this person.

The black-skinned man grunted. "Well, ain't that a pain in the ass? Looks like we've got competition here. Someone wants to take our place as this world's saviors. And we barley know who that guy is and whatever group he leads" Bruce expressed his dispassion with this.

"Not to mention, he seems to have some form of vendetta towards not just Heihachi, but you as well, Kazuya. That means he'll be coming for you. It would be wise to prepare yourself for it" Anna told her superior. But as she looked at him, Anna could see that Kazuya was now in deep thought. Something was bugging him and both Anna and Bruce wondered why. "Kazuya…...what's wrong?" she asked him.

Kazuya had been relatively quiet ever since he had managed to hear the conversation between Heihachi and Revenant. From there, he had learned something that he found it hard to grasp. It was something involving around his deceased mother: Kazumi. Even to this day, Kazuya had never forgotten the memories he had of this beautiful woman, who had treated him with kindness like any mother would.

"My mother…...was trying to kill Heihachi…and me?" Kazuya asked while facepalming. At first, Bruce and Anna thought he was sad. But that quickly changed with a laughter. After that, Kazuya quickly brushed off his doubts. "How absurd! As if I was to believe that the woman who mothered me would seek my death! She despised senseless violence…especially amongst family members" Kazuya added, still remembering the words of wisdom he had learned from his late mother. Her death was the main reason for his eternal hatred towards his father. He would never rest until Heihachi laid defeated before him.

After a moment of reflection, Bruce felt it was right to ask Kazuya what their next move would be. "What are your orders, Kazuya? For all we know, that guy could become a headache to our plans" he asked him.

Kazuya faced the screen on the computer, which had started to become blurrier. He was specifically facing Revenant. "We do nothing and stay here. If this false prophet wishes to face me in combat, then I'm more than happy to oblige" the red-eyed man told them. "That being said, I want to find out who this "Revenant" truly is. What kind of power does he wield? Somehow, I think he is more than just a maddened cultist" he added to his interest of Revenant.

"Now that you mention it, that guy did mention something that caught my interest…...the Gods of old…I don't know whether he's just a nutcase, but it could be worth investigating" Anna informed her superior.

"And let's not forget about the ongoing King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. We better see how our representatives are doing so far. Hopefully Chloe has not screwed up, like she always does" Bruce suggested, not hiding his distaste of the blonde-haired cosplayer.

Kazuya closed his eyes while forming a smirk. "We will know that soon enough. Now as for Heihachi. Despite the explosion, I doubt that old fool is dead. No, an such thing is not enough to kill Heihachi, based upon past experiences. Therefore, he will likely return to the Zaibatsu HQ. But in the meantime, we will build a plan for accommodating our special guest. And we might as well ready his coffin" Kazuya told his associates while thinking about Revenant. He had not changed since seeing Heihachi and Revenant fight. No, he was still the same ruthless man as he had become.

* * *

 _On a containership in the middle of the Pacific Ocean_

While it was night in the Pacific Ocean, the containership carrying contestants in the tournament from the Americas to Japan was still sailing, despite having been sideswiped by a gigantic rogue wave. It took half an hour before the containership could be operational once again, given that the wave had shut off the boat's electricity. But now, the seas were relatively quiet, and the air was not as windy as it was earlier. This gave the Tekken Force officers on the bridge some form of relief. They were happy to be alive, and that they would reach Japan safely, depending on whether the weather would continue running smoothly like this.

The officers had been notified of what had happened with the cruise ship that was transporting contestants from Eurasia in the South China Sea. An attack from a rogue wave had almost succeeded in killing everyone onboard, except for a few contestants. Hearing this made the officers feel thankful that they weren't over there. Still, anything could happen in an ocean as unpredictable as the Pacific.

The rogue wave had also managed to separate the contestants across the ship, with some of them even forming temporary alliances in order to survive the "Survival of the Fittest". Once everything had been placed back in order, the contestants continued their fighting, wanting to last until they reached Tokyo. But then again, many fighters had already been swallowed by the sea when the wave struck the ship. Therefore, all fighters saw nothing but survival by any means as the only way of passing this first phase.

Standing on top of a container, King and Michelle Chang were hoping scouring the scene, trying to figure out where specifically they were. Things were not looking good, given that the wave had created a mess of the containers. And given that it was night, it was impossible to see where they went, although the moon did help them a little.

"What a complete mess" Michelle remarked at what she was seeing. The brunette could suddenly hear clashes happening nearby. "And I can hear several fights taking place not far from here" she added while facing King.

"You are right. But still, we better not let our guard down. Who knows what kind of foes we will stumble upon" the Mexican man told her.

Michelle nodded her head. "Certainly. But I do wanna find out if Julia's doing okay. I can't help but to let my motherly instincts take hold on me. That's why I'm so anxious to find her" she admitted to her partner, who showed understanding in return.

But their talk was cut short when they could hear laughter coming from above them. Looking up, both Michelle and King could see two fighters standing on top of a container. The moonlight made it possible for them to see who they were, although King seemed to have more knowledge.

"I know these two! That pale-skinned man is Bryan Fury. He is, to my knowledge, a cyborg. And the wrestler with him is…Armor King!" King expressed his resentment in what he was seeing.

Michelle became stunned and confused at the same time. "Hold up! THE Armor King!? The same man with the black jaguar mask that I fought against during the first tournaments!?" she was immediately reminded about Armor King, as well as his impressive skills in wrestling.

"I'm afraid that you are partially right, Michelle. But the Armor King you knew died during a brawl in Arizona. No, this is a different Armor King…who's actually the younger brother of the previous one…" King tried explaining things to his partner. "But unfortunately, he lacks his brother's sense of honor and dignity" he then added.

Hearing this left the brunette confused. "Argh! What's with these wrestlers claiming to be different men underneath their masks!?" Michelle wondered, yet she believed in what King was telling her. "But hold up. Armor King is dead? Boy, have I been too slow to catch up with the changing world!" she then admitted, realizing how much had transpired while she had stayed home with her tribe in Arizona.

Bryan grinned psychotically as he faced down the pair. "Now this is what I call jackpot! We finish beating those punks only to find these two bozos skulking nearby. It would appear that luck has smiled upon us, amigo" the cyborg told his "partner", yet Armor King was mostly concentrated upon King.

"Yes. I suppose it has. But luck never lasts forever. It quickly vanishes once it has reached its limit" Armor King coldly replied, his gaze never leaving sight of King. "But enough of these words! You may do with that woman as you please. But King is mine opponent! And don't you dare interfere!" the masked man added in his explanation to Bryan.

The cyborg didn't pay much heed to what Armor King said. In fact, he was carrying what appeared to be an iron bar on his right shoulder. With a quick aim, Bryan threw the iron bar at the spot Michelle and King were standing on. They both widened in shock with what they were seeing.

"TAKE COVER!" Michelle cried, as she and King went their separate ways. The iron bar proceeded to pierce the container they had been standing on. The brunette was forced onto the deck, trying to catch her breath after avoiding a near-death experience. To her utter horror, Michelle saw Bryan walk towards her, the pale-skinned man smirking cunningly. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, YOU PSYCHOPATH!? YOU ALMOST KILLED US WITH THAT IRON BAR!" she lashed out against him.

In response, Bryan let out a sadistic laugh, one that only maniacs such as him could have the guts to do. "You think I care? This is the Survival of the Fittest, hippie! Only the strongest may survive this round" he told her in return. Bryan cracked his knuckles. "If you don't like the way it is, then you might as well jump off this ship!" he went on to insult Michelle's dignity as a fighter.

Michelle did not like the comment she heard from Bryan. "Excuse me!? Who are you calling a hippie!? I'll have you know that I'm no pacifist!" she snapped and readied her fighting stance. A part of her wanted to just smack Bryan endlessly. "From the looks of it, I guess you're just the type who loves spreading chaos and hatred wherever you go. And you're quick to judge your opponent based upon their style of clothing! I just despise men such as you!" she snapped at him.

Still, Bryan remained unfazed at her words. "Tch, what is this? Some kind of "make love, not war" bullcrap!? Keep your ideals to yourself!" he wondered before grinning as he thought about what to do with Michelle. "Now that reminds me, I take it you're an animal-lover or some sort. Surely you wouldn't mind being fed to the sharks and orcas, wouldn't you?" the cyborg began exploring his ways of ending the brunette's life.

Hearing this only made Michelle sick to her stomach, as well as resentful towards Bryan. "You're obviously one of the most despicable men I've ever encountered. Probably in the same league as Heihachi and Kazuya Mishima" she told what she felt about him.

"Am I? Well, I'm flattered by your compliment" Bryan told her and readied his fighting stance. "Now then, how about you show me what moves you got? At least try impressing me" he dared her.

Michelle narrowed her eyes in return while doing the same thing. "You want me to give everything I've got? Fine! But just remember, you asked for it!" she replied before charging towards Bryan.

Meanwhile, King was being confronted by the brother of his deceased mentor. He growled with nothing but resentment. At this point, trying to reason with Armor King was meaningless. Standing up on his feet, the two wrestlers circled around on the small area that existed between the containers.

"Now then. Shall we continue where we left off?" King firmly asked his opponent. Eventually, he stood still and was ready to attack him whenever it was time. "This time, no wave is will interrupt us. I say we take this fight to the lengths! Are you up to this!?" the Mexican man added with a firm question.

Armor King clenched his fists in reply. Despite being unable to see his expression, King could tell that he was more than delighted to hear those words. "He esperado mucho tiempo para esto" he spoke in Spanish, before proceeding to run directly towards King. But King did the same thing, and the two masked luchadores resumed their deadly duel. The two were holding hands while trying to overpower the other. It was a feud only die-hard fans of luchadores would understand. "Now we settle this!" Armor King added.

King only responded by giving his opponent everything he had. "Fine! Do your worst then!" he hit back.

Meanwhile, Eddy Gordo and Katarina Alves were wandering through the chaotic scene across the deck. Having managed to survive getting thrown into the ocean inside a container, the two Brazilians had, with some encouragement from a third party, decided to stick together. But they had done so reluctantly, given that they each resented one another. Still, Bo "Rodeo" Montana had convinced them to focus on survival, rather than fighting amongst one another.

So far, they had been unsuccessful in finding opponents. And now that the night had arrived, both Brazilians felt tired and the need to rest. But how could they possibly do that while being stuck on a containership in the middle of the Pacific?

"Droga! My head's starting to spin around in circles" Katarina cursed at the state she was in.

Eddy felt the same thing. "Trust me, I feel the same way you do" he replied, yet the man with dreadlocks looked around to see if there were anyone spying on them. From the looks of it, the area they were in seemed peaceful, for now. "But we best not let our guard down. Even though the wave flushed out the majority, there remain hordes of contestants just waiting to get at us" he added.

Katarina mused to herself. "It's funny. I hear you have gradually begun to sound less antagonistic towards me than you were before. Did something change your opinion of me, perhaps" she quizzed him teasingly.

He snorted in response. "Keep your sassiness far away from me. Just so we're clear, I haven't entered this tournament to make new friends. I have actually entered because I want to save a friend. So, don't even think about it" Eddy told her, still not feeling he could trust Katarina.

"Whatever. And relax, I never said anything about us being friends" Katarina muttered out. "But what I can tell, is that you and I share a common enmity in the G Corporation. Isn't that a positive thing?" she then remarked, trying to impress Eddy.

"A coincidence. Nothing more" Eddy replied, as if he was not interested in listening more to the woman's sob-story. "And for someone who says the G Corp is bad, you sure did a poor choice being on their payroll" the Capoeira fighter added.

Hearing this only caused Katarina to snap in anger. "Like I just told you, babaca, I was recruited by them against my own will! And I sure as hell didn't know at the time that they had my father hostage!" the brunette told Eddy. "And who are you to judge me for my bad decisions!? Didn't you join the Tekken Force and help orchestrate its war throughout the world!? Millions of civilians lost their lives! At least my choices weren't as selfish as yours!" she then took a jab at Eddy.

Eddy was immediately reminded about his mistakes, including on what had happened with his honorable master. Being reminded about those immediately sent Eddy into a frenzy. As such, he angrily confronted Katarina, his face close to hers.

"Cale o bico! What I did in order to save my master's life is nothing for you to speak of!" Eddy snapped at her.

"Well, I won't! But ten million people will!" Katarina took a jab at him.

The man with the dreadlocks was about to lose his mind to anger, only to stop once he could hear something. Soon, Katarina could also hear it. It came from above, on a container that was on the verge of falling down towards them. From the looks of it, a fight was taking place. "What's happening?" he wondered.

Katarina shrugged her shoulders. "The hell I know. But I guess there are some burros skulking around here" she replied, the brunette also looking up at the container.

What really happened was that Julia Chang and Robert "Bob" Richards were being forced up to this container due to them being on the run from a gang of American thugs. These people wore all kinds of weapons, from baseball bats to chains. It was a sight those two fighters didn't like.

"These guys have us at the edge! How are we gonna get past them?" Julia asked while walking backwards along with her partner. The thugs climbed up, ready to test their mettle against Julia and Bob.

"Look at this, boys! That chick is one hell of a broad! What do you say we go bang he rafter beating the crap out of that fat boyfriend of hers!?" one of the thugs asked, and they all laughed out loud.

Julia's anger grew in hearing that man's comment. It was completely inappropriate for a man to say to a woman. "Mom was right, these guys really are perverts!" the brunette recalled what Michelle had thought of them.

Bob understood the gravity of this situation. He briefly looked over his shoulder and saw the edge of the container, not the mention the fact that it was on the verge of falling off. As he watched, an idea suddenly crept inside the blonde-haired man's head, to which Julia could see based on his expression.

"What's with that look? Don't tell me you actually have an idea about this" the brunette wondered.

"Believe it or not, I actually do have an idea. But it's quite daring, if you catch my drift" Bob told Julia, who was slightly stunned to hear this. The chubby man directed his attention towards the approaching thugs. "All we gotta do is to draw these punks closer to our standpoint on this container" he added to his explanation.

Julia had to admit she was confused. "Hold the phone, what are you talking about our….." the brunette soon realized what Bob was trying to show her, given that he tapped on his belly. "No way…you really think it will work!? I mean, where are we gonna…" Julia was interrupted as Bob began carrying her, much to her surprise.

He smiled at her reassuringly. "Don't worry. Just leave everything to me" Bob said, before facing the incoming thugs. He smirked. "Hey you boneheads! Why don't you come over here and show me how tough you really are! I'll be more than happy to take out each and every one of you with my natural skills!" Bob taunted their foes.

The thugs were quickly enraged by Bob's comment. One of them even proceeded to point his baseball bat at the pair. "Come on, guys! We'll beat that fatass and then bang his girlfriend!" he commanded rudely.

As a result, the thugs ran towards Bob and Julia on the container. But Bob suddenly went backwards, which only made the container bend over towards the edge, falling down towards the deck in the middle. Bob landed on a nearby container on his back, and it went smoothly, given the amount of fat inside his body. He managed to hold onto Julia, who didn't sustain any injuries.

Both Eddy and Katarina, who were able to see the container fall along with the thugs, quickly moved away from their spot, knowing well that it would only crush them.

"PUTA MERDA!" both Brazilians yelled in fear as they hoped the container would not land on them.

The result of this stunt turned out to be quite serious. Given how much the container weighed, it fell through the deck, creating a hole in the middle. The thugs also fell through the hole, yet they eventually landed on top of the container's door, given that the container was standing in a vertical position.

Eddy and Katarina were in awe of what had emerged on the deck. It was shocking to watch. The container had made quite a hole.

"Porra! How did this container even fall off from above!?" Eddy wondered, still feeling a little anxious, as they had avoided a near-death experience.

Katarina looked up and turned her attention to Bob and Julia. "I don't know. But I bet these guys know something, epically that gordinho with the shirt" she spoke up, wanting to get some answers out of them. Eddy was also thinking about the same thing.

Since surviving the stunt, Bob and Julia had only been staring at the hole on the deck. "Oh my God. I really hope that container didn't fall through the ship! What if it did!?" Julia asked Bob while glancing at him in open disbelief.

Bob tried his best to ease her fears. "Calm down, Julia. Such notion is inconceivable. Besides, underneath us, there are probably 100 containers stashed as they are here" the blonde-haired man assured the young brunette. He then took his time to watch the different thugs lying on the deck. "But I'll admit that I made a rather stupid move. Fortunately, these guys weren't killed" he then admitted.

Julia slapped his face while shaking her in embarrassment. "And you say that now? I thought the idea was crazy to begin with" she told him, yet Bob was still trying to ease her reservations.

"Ei, idiotas!" the rude voice came from Katarina below them. From the looks of it, she was quite furious with what they had done. "What's the big idea dropping a container upon us!? Unless I'm mistaking, killing your opponents is against the rule of this tournament" the Brazilian woman added to her explanation.

Julia gulped in embarrassment, yet Bob stepped in and chuckled nervously with what he heard Katarina tell them. "Look, we were handling a few thugs up there, so we didn't know you were below us. And I can sympathize with how uncomfortable it must've been for you. So, I do apologize" the chubby man told them while scratching the back of his head.

Despite the apology, Katarina was fuming with anger, unable to simply forgive him for what had just happened. But a gentle touch on her shoulder restrained Katarina's rage. It came from Eddy. He shook his head at her as a no.

"Don't bother. It's a waste of energy to launch your anger towards him. And from what he tells us, he is regretful of his actions" Eddy insisted to her, before looking at the pair above them. "But then again, I seem to recognize each of your faces from the previous tournaments. Especially you, kid" he remarked while specifically eyeing Julia.

The brunette only sighed in irritation. "My name's not kid! It's Julia Chang!" she berated him, yet the Capoeira fighter didn't seem to care for her outbursts.

"Whatever. Why are you two teaming up, anyways?" Eddy asked them.

"Now that question's a little hypocritical from you, given that you and this lady are on the same side" Bob pointed out while crossing his flappy arms. He then looked at Katarina. "Speaking of which, are you two siblings or something?" he then questioned them.

"DE JEITO NENHUM!" both Eddy and Katarina cursed out in Portuguese at the same time, feeling offended by what Bob just asked them. They even looked away from one another, much to the surprise of Bob and Julia.

"Okay…..now I'm starting to feel confused here" Julia remarked, yet she decided to change the subject. "Anyway, me and Bob are only teaming up until we reach Japan. In Heihachi Mishima's twisted games, there's no reason for us to honor every rule. We do what is necessary to survive" she went on explaining their reasons.

Eddy had to admit he was impressed to hear what Julia said. "Hmmm…...I see. Can't say I disagree with you on that one" he told her. "Me and this woman here only teamed up due to an American soldier encouraged us. He told us to focus on what really mattered in this game" Eddy then revealed.

"Hold the phone. There's actually a member of the US Army onboard this containership?" Bob asked, to which Eddy and Katarina nodded their heads in return. The chubby man whistled in amazement. "Man, I guess people of every profession wants a piece of the reward" he remarked.

"I don't know, Bob. He sounds like a very compassioned man. Heck, I don't think he's even after the reward. Any idea where he is?" Julia asked the Brazilians.

"No idea. After telling us what to do, he simply took off without saying anything…well except for telling us his name, that is" Katarina answered.

"Wherever he may be, that guy makes me suspicious for some reason" Eddy admitted.

And yes, where indeed was Rodeo? As battles raged onboard and underneath deck, the US soldier found himself standing on the pointy edge of the containership. In other words, the rover was underneath him. Although it was dark, Rodeo could tell that the skies above him were changing. Indeed, the dawn was on the horizon, thus giving him the ability to see the ocean around him clearly.

Rodeo had to admit it was beautiful to watch. It felt good to just stand there and feel the wind breeze into him. And despite his gear, the US soldier never froze. But was he doing more than just feeling the wind? Yes, Rodeo was now getting into contact with his superiors. And he was shocked to learn what they had told him.

"You're saying what!?" Rodeo asked into his cellphone, also feeling a tint of anger inside him.

" _You heard me right, Rodeo. Our sources in Japan tell us that a mysterious individual wearing metallic hands and a gas mask was spotted flying around Tokyo and into the countryside. And from what we hear, some terrifying malicious aura was all over him. I believe you can identify who that person is_ " the general told Rodeo, who slowly fell onto one knee.

His eyes narrowed as he pictured that individual. "Revenant….he's in Japan, right now! He got there so quickly! Damnit!" Rodeo cursed, slamming a fist onto the metallic deck. "But what made him crawl out of his cave all of a sudden!? I mean, he and followers always prefer the shadows than the daylight" he then asked his superior.

" _On that, we don't know. But what we do know is that Revenant is currently in Japan. And from what our sources can verify, he was heading towards a dojo in the Japanese countryside, one that is owned by the Mishima clan. Obviously, he was after Heihachi Mishima. And we also learned that Heihachi was seen leaving the Zaibatsu's HQ in a limousine and drove out of town. That can only confirm one thing_ " the general explained to his subordinate.

"They were fighting…..outside Tokyo! But what happened afterwards!? Did one of them emerge victorious!?" Rodeo asked in his cellphone.

" _We have yet to find out. But what is interesting is that a squadron of the G Corporation's JACK robots were headed towards the same direction. It would seem that they were planning on ambushing them. But we will update you once we have gotten more details about this attack_ " the general assured Rodeo, yet he was not finished speaking. " _But that being said, it is important that you reach Tokyo this instant. Unfortunately, it still takes days before you're there_ " he then added.

Rodeo gritted his teeth in frustration. "That takes forever! I can't be stuck on this damn boat now that I know Revenant is in Japan. There has to be a faster alternative, somehow" the muscular man remarked, trying to find out a way to reach the country faster. Surprisingly, he got an idea that swirled on his mind. As a matter of fact, Rodeo even smirked. "Hey general. I know this may sound stupid but you wouldn't….." he was interrupted by his superior.

" _Easy there, kid. I know what you're thinking. And yes, the United States Pacific Fleet is still working, but not in the form of battleships and aircrafts. Aerial attacks from the Zaibatsu and the G Corp has forced us to use an alternative: submarines_ " the general revealed, with Rodeo still listening to what was being said through the cellphone. " _And lucky for you, we happened to have been tracking the containership with one of those submarines. But it needed to stay far away, or else the crew on the bridge would've caught wind of it. However, now that they are barley recovering from that rogue wave, I say it's time we gave you guys a seeking feeling_ " he added, trying to be humorous as possible.

Rodeo responded by chuckling. "Cut the crap, general. I know what you mean" he told him. "But anyway, you're saying that submarine will sink us? But what if those Tekken Force guys discover that it's an attack from the US?" the soldier asked him.

" _No need to worry. They won't be able to identify the submarine. It may be small, but it's faster and tough enough to destroy a containership. Besides, those Mishima-bastards will assume this as an attack from the G Corp, given they are unaware of our change of methods with regards to the United States Pacific Fleet. So there you have it! We'll torpedo that boat and force them to call for an emergency. In that way, you will reach Japan faster. But you are responsible for ensuring your survival, Rodeo_ " the general explained their plans, although he was firm when telling Rodeo about them.

"Affirmative. I know what must be done. Just make sure that the torpedoes hit their targets. Rodeo out" he said and switched off his cellphone.

Knowing what was about to happen, the US soldier climbed up to a nearby container, hoping to at least get a view of the bridge, despite the mess. It was the perfect opportunity to see how they would react to them being in distress. Grabbing a pair of binoculars, Rodeo mused to himself.

"Oh yeah! Can't wait to see your reactions to this, you piece of shits!" Rodeo was prepared for what was to come.

Underneath the deck, Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law had decided to take their fight to the next level. But unfortunately, some of the fighters had already formed enormous gangs. As such, the two friends climbed back up to the deck. They did that through the hole they had entered. Once they got up, the two friends breathed out in relief. They were happy to have survived getting beaten up to pulps.

"Oh God! We almost got our asses killed!" Paul exclaimed, rubbing his face as he did. "I didn't know these guys had formed their own groups to survive" the Judo fighter added.

"You could say that, fella! But then again, going down there was actually your idea to begin with wasn't it?" Marshall questioned his best friend, still trying to catch his breath.

Paul shot an offended look at him. "Hey! It only happened because I fell through that damn hole! Besides, if you didn't wanna come with me you could've just said so!" he snapped at Marshall, who did not take kindly to this hissing fit.

"Oh, shut up, already! There's no doubt in my mind that…" before he could continue verbally assaulting Paul, both friends fell off balance when they could hear a loud voice from underneath. "WOAH! WHAT THE THELL!?" the Chinese-American fighter wondered out loud, given that he had landed on the deck with his butt.

"I don't think that came from those guys, Marshall. It probably came from underneath the ship!" Paul said, slowly getting back up on his feet. But once again, the loud explosion happened again, and it forced him down onto the deck. "GAH! HOLY SHIT!" Paul exclaimed in shock once again.

As the two friends were struggling to get up, they couldn't help but to notice something happening all around, or more specifically with the containership. At first, they thought it was another rogue wave, but that didn't seem to be the case with this.

"Paul! I don't think this is another wave attack! Just look around us!" Marshall told his friend, realizing that the ship was sideswiping.

Paul did as his best friend suggested, and he couldn't believe his own eyes. "You're right…this ain't a wave….." he uttered out those words lowly before screaming them out. "WE'RE SINKING! WE'RE ACTUALLY SINKING!" Paul then exclaimed out in disbelief, unable to grasp the fact that the large containership was slowly sinking.

While everyone onboard had been notified, the Tekken Force officers on the bridge were horrified by what they had seen. They checked the damage of the ship, seeing how it had been attacked from underneath.

"DAMNIT! WE'VE BEEN TORPEDOED! SOMEONE HAS ATTACKED US FROM UNDERNEATH!" one of the officers cried out while assessing the damage of the chip on a screen.

"TORPEDOED!? BY WHOM!?" a navigator asked, not sure of how this had happened. "WAS IT A SUBMARINE PILOTED BY THE G CORPORATION!?" he then asked them.

"WHO THE FUCK CARES!? WE'RE SLOWLY SINKING INTO THE SEA! WE GOTTA CALL FOR HELP! THIS GIANT PIECE OF SCRAP DON'T HAVE ANY RESCUE BOATS!" an officer quickly began calling for help. He was trying to reach out to the Mishima Zaibatsu's HQ. "HQ! HQ! COME IN! THIS IS THE CREW FROM THE CONTAINERSHIP IN THE PACIFIC! WE'VE BEEN HIT! I REPEAT, WE'VE BEEN HIT! REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE RESCUE, ASAP!" he pleaded out to whoever was answering him at HQ.

As people were striving to find a way to survive, a small yet fast submarine took off from the supposed crime scene. And yes, this submarine did indeed belong to the US Navy. It would appear that something made them decide to make sure Rodeo reached Japan faster. Was it due to the fact that Revenant had been spotted around Tokyo? Most likely. Either way, it was quite a risky move to sink a containership that contained many fighters onboard. But then again, the Mishima Zaibatsu would never suspect the United States to have sunken it. No, that blame would be pointed directly at the G Corporation. Heihachi and his subordinates had been prepared for Kazuya or his allies taking advantage of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. In their eyes, this was one of these attempts, despite the G Corp having nothing to do with it.

 _To be continued…_


	17. Winners Take it All

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Winners Take It All**

 _Several miles from the Mishima Dojo, Japan_

When dawn had arrived in Japan, it had started to rain. Thunder was rumbling in the clouds, and rain poured upon the landscape endlessly. Needless to say, it was quite a way to start a day. Even so, not everyone was even thinking about the weather in the first place. In this place of rubbles, which was several miles away from the Mishima Dojo, someone had emerged out of the pile of boulders. A powerful fist was flung right up, thus bringing the entire pile to pieces. That fist belonged to none other than the Mishima Zaibatsu's CEO: Heihachi Mishima.

Having just fought the mysterious person known as Revenant, Heihachi had been blown away by the cultist's powerful attacks. The fight had taken place inside the Mishima Dojo, given that Heihachi had been waiting for Revenant to come at him. But not matter how powerful Heihachi was, Revenant always seemed to find a way to counter his moves. And to his own humiliation, Heihachi was sent flying away by his opponent due to an explosion caused by his clash against Revenant.

As he stood in the middle of this rainy environment, Heihachi reflected upon what Revenant had told him during their fight. It had continued to bug his mind for the last hours. Even as the rain fell all over him, Heihachi didn't seem to take notice of it.

"No matter how hard I try, I simply cannot fathom it….." the old man said, his mind slowly but swiftly recalling the words his opponent had uttered out. "How does this Revenant know about Kazumi…about us…about…that night…" Heihachi was pondering, his mind slowly drifting back into the past.

According to what Revenant had said, he was planning on defeating both him and Kazuya. From what he could understand, the masked man and his order of cultists called the Acolytes of Pluton were seeking to bring the world under the authority of the Gods of old. Heihachi was still uncertain about what he meant, but he assumed that one of these "Gods" was likely Ogre. But Ogre was dead. So was Azazel. What could the cultist possibly be talking about?

"I may not know what you truly want, but I now know for certain that if remained unchecked…you will become a thorn in my side along with Kazuya. I can't let you do as you please" Heihachi said to himself, thinking about the opponent he had slowly grown to admire.

As he stood and sought to find an answer, Heihachi was interrupted by the lights of a car flashing at him. Turning around, the Patriarch of the Mishima clan could see that a limousine had arrived. Out of its passenger doors came four security guards, quickly tending to their boss. Heihachi smirked in what he was seeing.

"Hmmm just what I needed" the old man said, as he saw the four men salute before him in return.

"Sir! We both came you down as soon as you pushed on that tracking device. Are you hurt?" one of the guards asked, feeling very concerned about his superior.

"Should we call for a medic?" another one asked.

But Heihachi brushed off their concerns. "There's no need for that. I'm in no critical condition. Being stuck in the dirt actually helped heal my wounds" he told them before walking to the limousine. "But I will need to get back to HQ as quickly as possible! Take me there now! And fill me in on what have happened with the tournament so far!" he commanded them.

"YESSIR!" all the security guards said in unison and entered the limousine.

The sooner everybody was inside, the quicker the limousine drove off, soon reaching the main road to Tokyo. But now that he was on his way back home, it would be a good time to see what had transpired in his absence. Apparently, the security guards were not the only ones in the limousine. One of his many secretaries were that as well. It was the woman named Tamaki. She was currently holding onto a tablet computer made by the Mishima Zaibatsu.

"Tamaki, tell me that something good happened while I was away" Heihachi asked the secretary.

Tamaki nodded her head, even showing him on the tablet computer. "Sir. Before you left for the Mishima Dojo, you were probably notified about the cruise ship carrying contestants in the South China Sea. While a rogue wave managed to destroy it, there were some survivors" she informed him, yet Heihachi already knew that. The secretary decided to move on. "Well, we just received an SOS from the crew onboard the containership in the Pacific Ocean. It sounded desperate. From what it said, the ship had been torpedoed and was now sinking into the sea" she revealed to him.

Heihachi's eyes narrowed in anger. "Torpedoed! By whom!?" he demanded an answer.

"Unfortunately, the crew onboard was unable to identify the attackers. But it was most likely a submarine, but in whose service?" Tamaki replied.

Heihachi folded his arms while scowling in thinking about his hated enemy. "Kazuya…...that sanctimonious bastard. Who else could it be? While I have been busy on the tournament, he and his lackeys are trying to sabotage it!" he expressed resentment.

"But there is some good news. According to the rescue team that was dispatched to investigate the ship, there have been some survivors" Tamaki revealed, much to the astonishment of Heihachi. The secretary nodded her head to confirm it. "Indeed. Like the episode in the South China Sea, some contestants managed to escape the watery grave. From what the intel says, there were about 9 survivors. That only confirms about the fact that the "Survival of the Fittest" was a success" she went on with her explanation.

Hearing all this only brought so much satisfaction within the elderly man. The fact that there were survivors only proved Heihachi that someone was worthy of facing him in combat.

"Now this is most excellent news! I knew that it was the right way to carry out the first phase! It turned out to be better than what I had expected!" Heihachi said, feeling so proud of his accomplishment. But he soon let go of that pride and faced Tamaki. "Tamaki, make a call to HQ. Tell the contestants fighting on the rooftop that the Survival of the Fittest is over. Those who are still standing will advance on to the next round. And while you are at it, make sure that those survivors from the ships are taken to the rooftop as well. I want to see everyone who has made it!" the CEO told her.

"Right away, sir!" Tamaki responded, and she began making calls to HQ, hoping to get in contact with them a soon as possible.

While she did that, Heihachi was in deep thought, the old man thinking about what he should do next. "It seems to me that I will have to plan my moves in the shadows for now. I will come up with a plan as soon as I have returned to my office. As a matter of fact, I think I can use the current situation to my advantage" he thought, smirking like the schemer as he was known to be.

* * *

 _Earlier, onboard a large containership in the Pacific Ocean_

The containership carrying contestants of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 was slowly starting to sink. The reason? An unexpected attack from a submarine in the US Navy. Given that the ship had been torpedoed, the sinking had taken every fighter onboard completely by surprise. They had all thought this was another wave. But that didn't turn out to be the case. The officers of the Tekken Force on the ship's bridge were all in disarray at the moment. But lucky for them, they had something that the fighters didn't have: easy access to the lifeboats.

The officers all managed to get on the two lifeboats that were available for use. Once they were on water, the officers were driving from the sinking boat. They didn't necessarily seem to care about the contestants they were supposed to watch over. To them, their survival mattered more. Given that they had contacted the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, the officers were expecting help to arrive as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, the containership was slowly sinking, and people were desperate to know what to do. In fact, most of the fighters below deck had quickly got back up, hoping to avoid ending up in a watery grave. Still, there was no escape. The Tekken Force officers had taken the only boats available to use. They would all be dragged to the depths of the sea. Or would everyone?

The soldier Bo "Rodeo" Montana had in secret managed to hide something from the rest of the fighters: a small rescue boat in orange. While it didn't have motors like the lifeboats, it could still be used when one rowed. The American soldier dragged the orange boat to the edge of the ship. Now that his superiors in the military command had done their job, Rodeo was certain to reach Japan faster.

"Alright! This is it! Better get moving before anyone sees me" Rodeo said with a cocky grin on his face. But would he be going floating on that rescue boat alone? Not likely, given that his actions had not gone unnoticed by certain fighters.

"Hey you! What are you doing with that boat?" Rodeo stopped and turned around to see some faces he knew. It was the Capoeira fighter named Eddy Gordo who had called out to him. But he was accompanied by Katarina Alves, Julia Chang and Robert "Bob" Richards. The man with the dreadlocks crossed his arms while facing the soldier suspiciously. "If we didn't know any better, you're planning on escaping this wreck" Eddy told him.

"Tch, of course I am! Can't you feel it? The ship's sinking!" Rodeo told him, yet he felt like the need to ask them something else. "What are you doing all here, anyway!?" the soldier added, realizing that they wouldn't mind their own businesses.

"Don't push your luck! You think you can come here and tell us to team up and then act like you don't care!? You got some nerve, burro!" Katarina snapped at him.

Being reminded of that immediately made Rodeo realize what he had advised those two Brazilians. Sighing deeply, he put down the rescue boat and decided to have this talk with these fighters.

For some reason, I find it strange that a US soldier like you is entering the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7" Bob expressed his opinion about Rodeo, causing the blue-eyed man to glare at him dispassionately. "What?" Bob shrugged his shoulder, confused at the soldier's glare towards him.

"You know damn well why I've entered, citizen. This world can no longer sit idle while the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation are wreaking havoc all across it" Rodeo told Bob, this time getting more firm than usual.

The chubby man with the blonde hair only raised an eyebrow at him. "Citizen? Not the worst you can call me, but I'm perfectly capable of defending myself" Bob spoke up.

Julia was slightly interested in what Rodeo had told them. "Excuse me, sir. But are you saying that the US Military also knows about the fact that the G Corp are no heroes in this war?" the brunette asked him.

In return, the soldier glanced at her with a frown. "It's not in my place to answer you this, little girl. Such info is top secret" Rodeo told her, yet Julia was not giving up on pressing him for answers. She knew what would change his mind.

"Yes, it is! Especially when you're talking to someone who infiltrated the organization during the last tournament. Surely you know the name of Julia Chang, don't you? Well, that's me" Julia pointed out.

"Hold on…...THE Julia Chang? The same researcher who got herself in trouble by spying for Violet Systems?" Rodeo quizzed her, forcing Julia to nod her head while smiling smugly. "Woah…now that I did NOT see coming. Sorry about that, ma'am. If I recall correctly, you used to belong to a group of scientists and researches that were working on a forest rejuvenation program called GENOCELL" the soldier remarked, recalling from what he had read in the files.

Julia giggled slightly. "You seem to know more than what you appear to be" she remarked. "And for the record, I'm still working on GENOCELL" she added to her explanation.

Both Eddy and Katarina were surprised to hear what Julia was saying. "Hold on, were you captured by the G Corp during the previous tournament?" Eddy was trying to ask him, yet Bob intervened in the conversation.

"That's enough interrogating for now" Bob urged everyone before facing Rodeo. "Listen, we all want to make it to Japan. And judging by you carrying this rescue boat, something tells me you were planned for this ship to sink. Which leads me to ask of you this: maybe you should let us come with you, soldier" the chubby man told what he suspected of the soldier.

Rodeo let out a huge sigh in return. "Don't panic. You're all getting onboard the boat. There's no reason to blackmail me" he told Bob, and made sure the rest heard that as well. "But know this: my motivations for entering this game is not to win some prize money or whatever. Something's at stake here: our world" Rodeo added to his explanation.

"Which is why we're gonna come with you on this boat, whether you like it or not" Eddy said sternly, not hiding his suspicions of the US soldier.

Bob stepped in, trying to ease Eddy's history towards Rodeo. "Take it easy. We're all on the same page here. Therefore, we'll do this together" the blonde-haired man assured the Capoeira fighter.

"Don't forget about us!" everyone snapped and turned to their left to see Michelle Chang, King, Armor King, Bryan Fury, Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law standing near them. It was Michelle who had spoken to the group. "If you're planning on leaving this sinking scrapheap, then you might as well take us with you" Michelle faced Rodeo specifically.

The moment Julia got a glimpse of her mother, she quickly ran towards Michelle and embraced her in a tight hug. "Mom! You're here!" she expressed her relief in seeing her alive and well.

The Native American fighter simply smiled at Julia sweetly. "Sure I am. You thought a wave was gonna be enough to wash me over? Not a chance, girl!" Michelle told her, the mother and daughter exchanging giggles between each other.

Rodeo was getting very outraged by seeing more people coming at him. "Now hold on just a damn minute! Whoever said that I had to take in more people!?" the loudly asked the newly arrived group.

Both Bryan and Armor King confronted the US soldier. "You know very well why! There's only one thing that can explain how a ship like this is sinking!" Bryan barked at him, only to form a cunning grin as he faced Rodeo. "An attack underneath from a submarine. But just any submarine, wouldn't you say, Mr. Soldier?" the cyborg began pressing him for more answers.

"He is right. Obviously, you must have known that we were about to be attacked. Which leads me to believe that it was you who ordered the sinking of this ship" Armor King spoke up, the masked wrestler crossing his arms in the process.

Both Paul and Marshall glared at Rodeo in outrage. "What!? So that means this is all your fault, isn't it!?" Marshall angrily pointed an accusing finger at him.

"It sure is, buddy! That's why you'll let us on this rescue boat! Otherwise, we'll tell on you! Or better yet, we can all just beat your ass to the curve!" Paul spoke up about his mind, as well as plans for forcing Rodeo to take them with him.

Rodeo gritted his teeth in frustration. "Shit! And just when I thought I had this under the bag! But that's to be expected, given that Bryan Fury is a cyborg. But then again, I can't screw this up now. I have to reach Japan!" the thought with slight distress. But as he kept wondering about how to respond, Rodeo suddenly got an idea. As much as it was a humiliating thing for him to do this, the soldier knew that this idea could be beneficial to his mission. "Alright. You have me cornered! If you wanna tag along on this journey, then fine. But there is one condition!" he told them.

The group of fighters only stood and listened to what was being said, yet some of them remained suspicious of Rodeo. "And what is this condition? Hurry up before this ship sinks!" King wanted to know what the deal really was.

Rodeo scoffed at him in return. "Simple. I take you all with me, and you keep your mouths shut for the rest of the journey. And I'm not doing this because I wanna help you advance to the next round. I'm doing this out of necessity! Understand!?" he wanted to make sure that nobody would rat him out.

Surprisingly, Bryan was the first to respond. "Tch, whatever. Just throw the damn thing in the water so we can get off this ship!" the pale-skinned man coldly responded.

"We promise we won't tell them anything! Heck, we can even do the pinkie promise" Michelle insisted while even showing the soldier her pinkie.

Julia only slumped her head by seeing this. "Not the appropriate way of sealing deals with, mom" the brunette remarked in slight embarrassment.

"Alright. I think we all have an agreement here. You take with us to Japan, and we won't spoil anything for the Zaibatsu. Sounds like a fair deal with you ask me" Bob remarked, trying to make everybody not lose focus of what was important.

"Then push that boat into the water so that we can get onboard quickly!" Eddy encouraged everyone.

Together, the fighters helped throw the rescue boat into the water. Given that they were many, it was difficult to get enough seats. Still, the boat managed to carry them just fine. As the group floated on the water, they watched as the giant containership gradually began sinking into the sea.

"Woah…...that was freaking close…..." Paul remarked before turning to face his best friend with a smile. "But hey! At least we're alive and kicking, buddy!" he told Marshall, who only smiled in return.

"Got that right, Paul! Hey, how about me…" before Marshall could continue, he was interrupted by an angry voice, and it came from Katarina.

"Will you two shut up for a minute or two!? Our transport just sunk, so there's nothing to be happy about!" the Brazilian woman berated the two friends.

"Agreed. How about we just shut up and wait for help to arrive?" Eddy joined in on the berating.

Both friends stopped speaking after this, yet Paul couldn't help but to mutter towards Eddy and Katarina. "Whatever you say…..assholes" the Judo fighter rudely told the Brazilians. Although they didn't like his comment, Eddy and Katarina decided to let it slide. Neither of them possessed enough energy to start more fights at the moment.

As they were sailing, the fighters on the rescue boat could spot what appeared to be more a flock of fighters desperate to find something to stand on. They were all swimming for their lives.

The sight of them managed to bring sorrow to both Michelle and Julia. They couldn't believe the fact that the Zaibatsu cared less about them and more about the Tekken Force officers. They were not alone. Even Rodeo was feeling some hint of remorse of what had was happening to these contestants. But he was thinking about a plan on making sure they stayed alive.

"Once the coast is clear, the US Navy will without question dispatch some of it's rescuers to save these people. They don't deserve such fate" Rodeo said inside of him.

Meanwhile, some of the fighters had begun talking amongst themselves, except for that no pleasant words were exchanged between them. It was between Bob and Bryan, as well as King and Armor King.

"What's with the sudden change of attitude? I thought you said you wanted to throw me to the sharks and orcas" Bob warily questioned Bryan.

The cyborg only snorted in return. "Don't get the wrong idea. I'm only postponing our fight…..for now" Bryan coldly replied, yet Bob was far from intimidated by his attempt to scare him.

However, Bob showed some understanding by weakly nodding his head at him. "Fine by me. Once we're in Japan, we can continue where we left off" the chubby man thought in his head.

"Don't think for a second that I have given up on defeating you" Armor King spoke up, facing King. The two masked luchadores had this animosity built towards one another. "The next time we fight, we will have no disturbances. I hope you'll be prepared for your demise until then" the man wearing the black jaguar mask told King.

King only glanced at Armor King in return, he too, prepared for the battle that was yet to come. "You don't even need to speak. My answer to that is painfully obvious. Just make sure you have the same determination as I do" he told his rival.

As much as Armor King wanted to go and tear King to shreds, he restrained his anger. Indeed. His hour of vengeance would come to fruition. That, he was certain of. And no one, not even the Mishima Zaibatsu would stand in his way of defeating King.

Given that everything was silent, the group could hear the sound of what appeared to be a large transport helicopter. Looking up, that turned out to be the case. Some of the fighters smiled in seeing this and even waved hands in the air, hoping that the pilots would see them.

Lucky for them, the pilots did notice them. However, they were also surprised to see them. "Hold the phone…...I thought there was no survivors from the containership, other than the officers" one of the pilots told his partner. He then began looking out towards the window. "And judging from what I can see, only them seem to have managed to escape the wreck. The rest of the contestants are all probably in their watery graves as we speak" he then told his comrade.

"But that's only perfect! Once we inform the boss about the survivors, he will be pleased to know how "Survival of the Fittest" worked, even though we didn't expect the ship to be torpedoed" the other officer replied. "That being said, we've yet to find out who did this. But evidence most likely points out to the G Corporation" he then tried to come up with a possible suspect with regards to this attack.

"Fair enough. Let's just get these people onboard and make sure that we at least have some survivors of this disaster" his partner said, and they both agreed to bring these survivors to Japan.

* * *

 _Inside the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

While Heihachi was on his way back, the contestants of the tournament were still fighting to last until the next round. Given that the fighting had continued throughout the night, the majority of fighters was now tired. But that was about to change once a loudspeaker was interrupting their duels. Everyone, from the rooftop to the platform that had reached the top during the night, stopped and listened.

" _Attention contestants of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. We have some important announcements to make here. So please stop with whatever fighting you are in and listen to this message, written by Heihachi Mishima himself_ " the voice belonging to a spokesman for the Zaibatsu could be heard. " _It is to our understanding that both ships that were carrying contestants from the Eurasia and the Americas stumbled upon some difficulties along their journey. Nevertheless, many fighters managed to make it out alive and are heading towards this building as we speak. That is why we have decided to officially declare the end of "Survival of the Fittest". The first phase has officially ended. But, not everyone of you have managed to make it to the next round. So allow me to read up the following names of the contestants who we believe are qualified to continue, based upon their efforts they have showed us on this rooftop. Josie Rizal. Christie Monteiro. Steve Fox. Asuka Kazama. Ling Xiaoyu. Leo Kliesen. Lucky Chloe. Ganryu. Yoshimitsu. Kunimitsu. JACK-7. Gigas. You have all passed! You may proceed to the next round in the tournament! The rest of the contestants whose names were not mentioned are all disqualified! So pack up your stuff and leave the HQ as soon as possible. Now as for you winners. Stay on the rooftop. You will be joined by the other fighters who have advanced to the next phase shortly. That is all that I have to say. Thank you for attention. Hope you enjoyed the fun so far_ " that was the long speech which was given to those contestants on the rooftop.

The moment the speech ended, the majority of contestants all whined about the fact that they had been denied a ticket to fight Heihachi. But it was obvious, given how they were all lying on the floor bleeding like pigs. They would all have to get off the building before security was called. Nobody wanted to mess with the Tekken Force.

Meanwhile, each of the fighters who had won had different reactions. Some where happy, while others were wary, given that they knew the kind of man Heihachi Mishima was when it came to scheming.

"WOHOOO! I CAN'T BELIEVE I WON!" Josie exclaimed out in happiness. The Philippine girl was beaming with pride. "Excellent! Now I'm ten steps away from challenging the boss! And if I win, that means I….I GET TO BECOME HIS PROTÈGÈ!" while she was thinking about winning the tournament, Josie couldn't help but to let her emotions get to her. As such, she found herself crying. This slightly embarrassed her, and Josie quickly wiped off the tears. But she couldn't help it, given how happy she was.

Steve, despite panting to catch his breath, quickly formed a cocky grin. "Damn…...I sure busted my arse this round. But it was totally worth it" he remarked before taking a look at the scar running across his left arm. "Whoever you are, I sure owe one for helping me stay alive. Perhaps there is more that I can learn from you, cheeky bastard" Steve said, thinking about the mysterious powers he had unlocked. While he had yet to understand what it really was, Steve had a feeling that he would, eventually.

Lucky Chloe felt herself getting overconfident, and she even did some moves. "Hah! Nobody could possibly best me, Lucky Chloe!" the blonde-haired girl exclaimed before turning to her partners: JACK-7 and Gigas. "Great job to you guys as well. Now I'm just gonna listen to music while we wait for the others, so do you mind not interrupting me?" she told them like it was a casual thing for her to do. Turning on the music inside her headphones, Chloe began feeling the beat to her J-pop.

In the meantime, JACK-7 began analyzing all the contestants that had made it to the next round. He was gathering date on each of them. Given that he was created by the G Corp, JACK-7 was secretly sending all the date to them. As such, his superiors at the Millennium Tower could register every name on their database. They had also hoped to spot any suspicious elements. As a matter of fact, JACK-7 had already sent what he had learned about Yoshimitsu, Leo, Asuka and Xiaoyu to his superiors. They would determine what to do next when they had read the data.

Gigas, unlike his compatriots, only stood still, almost as if he was like a pet obeying every command of his master. Now that the fight was over, Gigas would have to be controlled in order to make sure he didn't run wild. Still, he did look around the rooftop, even making those growling noises of his in the process.

Lucky Chloe and her partners were being watched by Christie and Leo, with Leo glaring at the trio with nothing but contempt. On the other hand, Christie was bewildered by the way Chloe was acting, in contrast to her brutish partners.

"I just don't get that girl. She's got moves and all, but her way of thinking is so…off. It's as if she's living in her own bubble" the Capoeira fighter remarked. But Christie couldn't help but to smirk. "Even so, I still wanna have a rematch with her. No way her groove's better than mine. What are you thinking…." she said while taking a glance at Leo, only to see the blonde-haired girl with a sour look. This made Christie realize that Leo did not wish to be spoken to right now.

Leo still couldn't believe her own eyes. "I can't believe this! That cosplayer is so ignorant about the G Corp's true nature! Is she living in a different reality or something?" she wondered, feeling more than tempted to just go and punch Chloe. But given that she was almost exhausted from fighting, it was best not to waste more energy. Instead, she shifted her focus to Gigas "And not only that, I can feel the pain and misery that man is experiencing. Everything he does…it's against his free will. To be held by such mechanical leash…I can't imagine anything more terrifying and tortuous" the German girl added to her thoughts, still feeling pity towards the red-skinned behemoth. Leo had a feeling that getting near the G Corp was not going to be easy, especially with those three being in the tournament. Therefore, Leo had to watch her back.

Yoshimitsu had been in deep thought since he was declared one of the victors in the fight. Although he was happy to have won, the swordsman still knew that things were far from over. He couldn't imagine what other fighters had managed to pass the phase. Among them, he thought about Bryan Fury. Thinking about him made Yoshimitsu's stomach turn.

"I dread the moment to see that face. And just when I thought I had enough issues with Kunimitsu…" Yoshimitsu remarked, glancing to his right to see the masked kunoichi standing there smirking at him with her crimson lips. Seeing this filled the ninja with resentment. "Damnit…to think we were comrades once. Your dishonoring of the Manji Clan's reputation will be punished. I will see that happen" he added, still feeling tempted to finish Kunimitsu once and for all. He could no longer stand and let her ruin everything the Manji Clan stood for. The kunoichi had to face judgement.

While Kunimitsu was upset about the fact that she hadn't been able to take Yoshimitsu's sword, the red-haired woman knew that she had all the time in the world. There was no need to rush to the climax.

"Mark my words, doddering fool. In the end, you will have no sword to carry with you. The only thing you will have left, is an eternal feeling of humiliation" the kunoichi thought, waiting for the moment she had wanted to experience for a very long time. "And this tournament is just the perfect tool to practice this humiliation on you. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I must thank Heihachi Mishima someday" she added to her aspirations.

Ganryu was wiping off blood on his face and mouth. His body was battered, yet the Sumo wrestler still had the courage to stand tall. Indeed. He was a Yokozuna. Quitting the tournament would only dishonor his ancestors. Ganryu had slowly begun to realize what a Sumo's honor meant. That was why the Japanese man was trying to overcome his fears and cowardice. Such things weren't befitting a Sumo wrestler.

"I can feel my entire body pleading me to stop fighting. But I won't give in! While I may have been a coward in the past, I am not that now that I realize the injustice that plagues this world" Ganryu said before stroking the chonmage on his head. The middle-aged man then looked at Yoshimitsu and smiled. Although Yoshimitsu didn't pay attention to him, Ganryu had to admit he was slightly impressed by Yoshimitsu's skills. "At the very least, my chonmage hasn't been cut off. That would certainly cost my honor as a Yokozuna. It may be the reason why that swordsman ever bothered using his sword against my head" he then thought with a hint of humor.

While the battle was over for now, other of the victors still felt the night to take out their anger and frustration on someone. Both Ling Xiaoyu and Asuka Kazama had not spoken to each other since the phase had ended. Instead, each girl had continued to glare at one another coldly. They both had bruises across their arms and legs, yet still having enough energy to stand up. Their intense fight between them had given birth to a new form of rivalry, although it could also be called an enmity. Xiaoyu and Asuka had different opinions when it came to Jin Kazama, something that contributed to them becoming fierce enemies towards each other.

"You got lucky! The next time we fight, I will make sure to rearrange your face by stomping on it!" Asuka had so many brutal thoughts in her mind that she didn't utter out in the open.

In return, Xiaoyu had similar ideas. "I won't stand for all that arrogant treatment of yours! And I sure as hell won't let you judge me for my failures!" the Chinese girl was hiding her rage towards Asuka. She wanted to unleash it, yet something in her gut told her not to.

In time, the remaining fighters found themselves alone on the top of the HQ. All that they could hear was the wind blowing above them. On another note, this enabled them to recover their energies and prepare for the next round…...if that was supposed to happen as soon as everyone was gathered.

The atmosphere changes once the sound of helicopters could be heard. Looking up, the fighters could spot two transport helicopters flying above them. But they stopped, each of them slowly descending towards a helipad that could be found on the rooftop. The place was quite large, as it had about four helipads. Even so, most of the fighters could care less about the size of it. They were more focused on who would come out of these transport helicopters. There was no question that the rest of the winners were onboard them, alongside a few Tekken Force officers of course. Once the helicopters had landed, two groups emerged from them.

The fighters on the rooftop were in awe of what they saw, given that each of them knew at least one of these individuals. Xiaoyu knew Nina, Paul, Eddy and King from before, but she was stunned to see none other than her relative Wang Jinrei. He was also the one who had taught Xiaoyu how to fight. The Chinese girl couldn't believe her own eyes.

"Gramps! What are you doing here!?" she wondered. Xiaoyu had always thought that Wang would prefer to stay retired in the Chinese countryside rather than entering competitions. But he was standing there among the crowd.

The elderly man had taken notice of Xiaoyu, and as such, he acknowledged her presence with a weak nod. He had been quiet since the helicopter had brought him to the HQ. "You are here, Xiaoyu. Just as I thought" Wang remarked, not surprised by seeing Xiaoyu in the tournament. That was to be expected.

Steve was glad to see Paul and Marshall being among those fighters, given that he had met them during the previous tournament. In return, the two friends seemed to take notice of Steve being among the contestants, and they even waved their hands at him. However, there was something else that caught the attention of the British boxer. The blonde-haired assassin Nina Williams. While she didn't return eye contact, Steve kept looking at the woman with the youthful appearance. A strange feeling was beginning to grow within him, and the boxer couldn't quite grasp what it was.

"You…..I'd never imagined that I would've stumbled upon you again….." Steve muttered lowly, his eyes still focused on Nina, who didn't seem to take notice of him.

Asuka had to groan in seeing Lili standing among the crowds. Right now, the rich girl was waving at her in a friendly manner, although the brunette didn't see it that way. "Great! You just had to enter in order to annoy me" the Japanese girl remarked, before she caught the attention of someone else. Her eyes snapped as she could get a glimpse of the Chinese Kenpo fighter: Feng Wei. Anger took root inside of her. She had a reason for being this way with regards to Feng. "Feng Wei…that son of a bitch!" she scowled by only looking at this man.

Ganryu's robust eyebrows had widened once he caught a glimpse of a woman he never thought he would see again. "I don't believe it. That's…..Michelle Chang! But how…...how is this…" the Sumo wrestler soon took notice of the young girl standing beside her. It was Michelle's adoptive daughter: Julia. "And Julia too…but I don't understand" he added, given that he had in the past developed enamored feelings towards Michelle. And because of their close facial resemblances Ganyu had also taken an interest to Julia. But the middle-aged man's head was spinning around in circles. He didn't know what to even think of this moment.

Yoshimitsu had been filled with nothing but disgust in seeing Bryan emerge out of the helicopter. The bad blood between them had not been forgotten, and Yoshimitsu still wanted avenge his fallen clansmen that had died by Bryan's hands. But despite his anger, the swordsman restrained it carefully.

"So you finally show your face? It does not surprise me that you would come here" Yoshimitsu thought in his head.

As the three groups of fighters began integrating, there was room for reunions. Some of them were pleasant ones while others were not so pleasant. Among the most emotional reunions was the one between Christie and Eddy. The Brazilian girl's eyes were filled with tears in seeing Eddy approaching her. There was only silence between them.

"Eddy…..." Christie spoke lowly, the young girl not being able to hold back her tears. They ran down across her cheeks.

Eddy, who was really relieved to have stumbled upon Christie, weakly smiled at her. It had been a long time since they had last seen each other. "Christie…" the man with the dreadlocks spoke up.

Without hesitation, Christie immediately ran straight to Eddy, embracing him in a tight hug. The young girl fighter was crying, with both sadness and joy. She sobbed while holding onto the man who had trained her in the art of Capoeira while her grandfather was incarcerated.

"Eddy!" Christie said, never letting go of him. Tears were still falling down from her eyes. "Eddy…...you're here…...after so long!" the Brazilian girl couldn't hide back her emotions.

In time, Eddy returned the hug, he too struggling to hold back tears. But he was still calm, trying to comfort Christie as best as he could. "It's all right, Christie. I'm here" he reassured her with a calm voice.

Christie let go of the hug and faced Eddy, her eyes still filled with tears. Things were quiet between the two, until Christie did the unthinkable. She slapped Eddy on his right cheek, and it was quite a hard one. Still, the man with the dreadlocks didn't consider it painful, as he had felt worse. But why did she slap him?

"Why…" Christie began uttering while struggling to control her emotions. "Why didn't you tell me where you were going!? Where you were taking grandpa!? And how long would you be gone!?" she demanded some answers, still being in tears over this.

Eddy sighed deeply, having enough guts to look at Christie in her teary eyes. "Christie…you have to understand my reasons. I was trying to save your grandfather from his death. No hospital in Brazil could cure his disease. That's why I joined the Tekken Force, in order to get him a place in the Mishima Zaibatsu's medical facility" the Capoeira fighter told her as honest as he could, still feeling reluctant in doing this.

"To what end!? You joined the Tekken Force and helped murder millions of innocents! How could that possibly have anything to do with saving grandpa!?" she asked him, feeling a bit outraged in hearing Eddy's reasoning.

"Christie, calm down! We both know that it's what he would've wanted! Sometimes, we have to sacrifice in order to achieve what we want most!" Eddy told her, trying his best not to raise his voice against the girl he had grown close to.

Christie was not backing down from this talk. "So where is he!? Where is grandpa!? Is he still breathing!? Answer me, Eddy!" the young girl cried out while holding onto the collar of Eddy's jacket of jaguar skin.

Once he heard that question, Eddy's heart was stung. This was the moment he had dreaded the most, to tell Christie the sad truth about how all his sacrifices had been done in vain. Still, this was something she deserved to know. Now they had been reunited, and there was no way he could hide anymore secrets from her. In order to start, Eddy silently shook his head as a no. He even closed his eyes.

Christie's teary eyes widened in shock. She felt her entire world go upside down. More tears fell from her eyes. Sobbing, she leaned onto Eddy, who did his best to comfort her. Even he could feel Christie's grief gain upon him. He couldn't blame her. She had just found out that her grandfather had died.

"I'm sorry, Christie. But even the medicine from the Zaibatsu couldn't cure his disease. He passed away in a hospital not long ago. But his body has been brought back to Brazil" Eddy told her weakly, holding the crying girl close to him. "He died peacefully, one that masters such as him had earned. He was everything….to both of us" he added while telling Christie.

Christie never let go of Eddy. And in return, Eddy never let go of her. As of now, they had each other to lean upon in these dire times. While it would take a while for Christie to get past this grief, she was happy to know that she still had Eddy. She would never let him leave her again. That she promised.

Another reunion that was slightly emotional was the one between Wang and Xiaoyu. The Chinese girl had quickly approached him, feeling very determined to know why someone at his age would risk his old bones in coming to Japan. In return, Wang seemed to have a bone to pick up with Xiaoyu.

"Just what do you think you're doing here, grandpa!? Don't tell me you've gotten so senile that you can't comprehend danger!" Xiaoyu demanded, getting slightly concerned for the elderly man's well-being.

Wang's wrinkly eyes narrowed at her. "My mind is clear as it always has been, young Xiaoyu. It is I who should be asking you why you are doing this. I thought I told you to stop chasing that madman" he firmly told her.

While Xiaoyu was taken aback by this, she refused to back down. "Don't call him that, gramps! You haven't known Jin as much as I have! Therefore, you've no idea on what it really is all about!" she hit back.

Still, Wang stood firm. "I do know what this is all about. Jin Kazama has stained the legacy of a man who strived for peace, compassion and honor. With what he has done, I cannot forgive him for such needless bloodshed. That is one of the many reasons why I have come here. To end this senseless hatred Heihachi and Kazuya are spreading throughout this world" he revealed to his distant relative.

Xiaoyu could only stand and reflect on what Wang had just told her. A part of her was angry at him, yet the other one somehow understood his reasons. But in this scenario, the angry part was taking hold on the young girl's emotions. "You talk as if Jin shares any similarities with Kazuya and Heihachi. But you're wrong! He's nothing like them! And you're only saying this out of ignorance!" she snapped at him.

Wang couldn't believe in how deluded Xiaoyu was acting right now. It was as if she had learned nothing from her previous experiences in the tournaments. Even so, the elderly man still had enough strength to stand up to his repulsive relative.

"It would seem to me that you have yet to grasp the reality of what has happened in this world, Xiaoyu. I pray that you will one day see the error of your needles quest for love. If Jin really cared about you, then why would he

Other reunions were less dramatic and jollier. It was the one between Steve, Paul and Marshall. Given that they had formed a friendship during the previous tournament, it was only natural that they would catch up and relive the good times. Steve had grown to like these two men, although he was somewhat baffled at Marshall's childish schemes, as well as Paul's cockiness.

"So how have you guys been since we last fought each other? I suppose you're up to some get-rich scheme, eh Marshall?" Steve asked the two friends, specifically asking the Chinese-American chef/fighter.

Marshall responded by simply scoffing at his statement. "Come on. I'm not the same type of guy anymore. Now that I no longer have to focus on paying bills, I can turn my attention to what's more important, like rescuing my dojo" he told him.

Steve gave him a bewildered expression. "Woah….you actually own a dojo?" he asked him.

"Sure I do! Although it's been having difficulties in attracting students lately" Marshall said, slumping at the end of his sentence.

Paul tried to cheer him up by slapping his best friend on his back. "Cheer up, bud! You'll figure something to get out of this mess. You always do" he told him before leaning closer to whisper something to Marshall. "Speaking of which, you see that Chinese guy with ponytail and weird clothing? That's the guy I was talking about, the one who could potentially become a great help to your dojo" he whispered.

The sooner Marshall heard that, the quicker he directed his attention towards the Feng standing alone and by himself. He had to admit that he was amazed by his appearance. And not only that. He could also sense a spirit within the Chinese Kenpo fighter. Was it that of a dragon? Marshall couldn't tell, yet there was something intriguing about Feng that he had yet to know.

"Amazing…this guy looks really tough…..the perfect candidate to help me with my dojo!" Marshall thought, once again giving into his scheming habits.

But before anyone could even continue with whatever they were doing, the giant screen was switched on once again. All the contestants looked up to see none other than Heihachi himself sitting there, grinning to himself while watching all the fighters. In the meantime, the contestants glared at him warily, knowing better than to trust someone as power-hungry as Heihachi Mishima. After all, the King of the Iron Fist Tournaments were his brainchild. As such, he had fun making the rules of the competition.

" _Greetings, contestants! I salute you all for passing Survival of the Fittest! That phase was done for this particular reason: to determine which of you fighters were worthy to battle me. And just as I thought, there were someone capable of passing. You all have my acknowledgment. But now is the time to move onto the next round. To show you my enthusiasm, I have decided to call it "Three for All". Quite a name, don't you think?_ " Heihachi could be heard telling them all this, finding amusement with the names he had given the second phase. In his mind, it was creative. " _Now you all wonder why I have given it such a name. It may be a pun, but it's not. You see, I have decided that all of you will be divided into smaller groups consisting of three people. You will each face another trio and fight until you reach the semifinals. And don't worry about each of you finding teams on your own. It's already been decided who will be with whom. So pay a close attention to what comes up on the screen_ " Heihachi added to his declaration.

All the fighters had to admit they were confused at what the phase was going to be like. Was Heihachi playing them for fools? They didn't have time to ponder, as the trios were shown on the giant screen. As such, they knew who to stand with whom.

 _Team 1_

 _Nina Williams_

 _Michelle Chang_

 _Yoshimitsu_

 _Team 2_

 _Eddy Gordo_

 _Katarina Alves_

 _Christie Monteiro_

 _Team 3_

 _Paul Phoenix_

 _Marshall Law_

 _Steve Fox_

 _Team 4_

 _Asuka Kazama_

 _Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort_

 _Ganryu_

 _Team 5_

 _Wang Jinrei_

 _Bo_ _"Rodeo" Montana_

 _King_

 _Team 6_

 _Bryan Fury_

 _Feng Wei_

 _Armor King_

 _Team 7_

 _Sergei Dragunov_

 _Claudio Serafino_

 _Kunimitsu_

 _Team 8_

 _Ling Xiaoyu_

 _Julia Chang_

 _Robert "Bob" Richards_

 _Team 9_

 _Miguel Caballero Rojo_

 _Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen_

 _Josie Rizal_

 _Team 10_

 _Shaheen_

 _Zafina_

 _Hwoarang_

 _Team 11_

 _Lucky Chloe_

 _JACK-7_

 _Gigas_

In addition to that, it had also been determined about which team would face whom. The screen was showing what appeared to be a map, showing the teams being drawn to each other with the help of lines.

 _Team 1 vs Team 7_

 _Team 2 vs Team 9_

 _Team 3 vs Team 10_

 _Team 4 vs Team 8_

 _Team 5 vs Team 6_

The giant screen quickly reverted back into Heihachi, the CEO feeling proud to have told everyone about what they were up against. In the meantime, the contestants were left thinking about what they would do next, given that they had been divided into many teams.

" _Now that it's been settled, I would like to direct each and every one of you to our suites in the nearby hotel. You will all stay there for the rest of the night. And of course, you will spend the night as a team. So on behalf of all the Mishima Zaibatsu, I wish you all a pleasant night. For tomorrow, we begin Three for All!_ " that was the last announcement of Heihachi before the screen switched off.

With the message being sent, the fighters were taken down from the rooftop with the help of the elevator. As they were all heading downwards, the many teams took their time to get along with each other. While some of them knew each other from before, others were trying to mingle in with their newfound compatriots.

Asuka was at first displeased over the notion of being put on the same team as Lili. But she soon changed her mind after a conversation between them and Ganryu.

"It will be so nice to fight alongside you, Asuka Kazama. Well, until the finals, that is" Lili spoke up, once again displaying her sassiness.

Asuka slumped in hearing this. "You're kidding, right? Please tell me this isn't true" she muttered.

Ganryu stood with the girls, yet he was confused to see Lili glance at him with such admiration. He didn't know the reason and decided to ask her about this. "Excuse me, madam. But why are you looking at me like this? Have you never seen a Sumo wrestler before?" the middle-aged man asked him.

Being asked about this caused Lili to giggle. "Of course, I have, silly. It's just that…...I can't help but to notice how robust your eyebrows are. They almost remind me of my father's" the blonde-haired girl told him.

Ganryu raised an eyebrow in return. "Really? Well, I usually don't get compliments about my eyebrows…" the Japanese man was unsure about how to respond to this, given that Lili was technically the first person to ever compliment his robust eyebrows.

Seeing this made Asuka laugh a little. "Heh. I admit, you amuse me sometimes, Lili" the brunette told her.

Lili glanced at her while putting her hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked him.

"Come on, can't you take a compliment? Geez, you're still the same" Asuka sighed while facepalming into hearing how Lili was reacting to her.

Xiaoyu was trying to get better acquainted with her teammates. From what she knew, they had met each other on the containership. "So you two met on the containership?" she asked her comrades.

Bob nodded his head at her. "Sure. But we only joined forces due to survive in the last round" he told Xiaoyu before turning his attention to Julia. "But I must admit, it's a coincidence that we got put on the same team, Julia" he told her.

"Yes. I know" Julia said, only to look around and see all the other teams that had been made for the next phase. "But I can tell that things are about to get more ugly in the next round" the brunette added to her concerns while looking at some of the fighters.

Bryan, Feng and Armor King seemed to have gotten along just fine. Surprisingly, Bryan was the one most talkative, given that his comrades were silent. "Now this must be pure coincidence. The three of us, who once chased after Jin Kazama on the G Corp's orders, fighting together. I don't know what to say" the cyborg remarked in what he was hearing.

"Quit wasting breath, simpleton. It is better to speak with your eyes" Feng lowly berated him.

Bryan grunted in reply. "As if I give a damn" he said before changing his expression into that of a psychotic grin. "Anyway, I hear we got to fight the team that has that annoying swordsman! I can't wait to tear him to pieces!" Bryan began expressing his lust for quelling Yoshimitsu.

"If you want to kill him, then try using your brain instead of your hands" Armor King told him, the luchador secretly resentful that he didn't get to fight King. But that didn't matter. "Soon, we will have our fight" he added to his thoughts.

Nina, who in reality hated working in teams, was slightly surprised to see a familiar face from the two first tournaments. In return, Michelle was stunned to have stumbled upon both Nina and Yoshimitsu, given that she knew them from the tournaments she had entered. The assassin crossed her arms while facing Michelle coldly.

"Well. To my understanding, you had decided to stay home with your tribe in Arizona. What made you decide to crawl out of there? Still searching for a way to regrow the rainforest, perhaps?" Nina flatly asked her.

Michelle glared at Nina with nothing but resentment. "You know, you got some nerve talking to me like that. Honestly, haven't you changed one bit?" she questioned Nina, who only narrowed her eyes at Michelle in return.

"It's not in my place to answer a deluded environmentalist such as yourself. What happens in my life, is for me and me alone to know" the assassin berated her.

Before Michelle could open her mouth, Yoshimitsu intervened between the ladies. The swordsman looked at the brunette and shook his head at her. "Don't let her words get the best of you, Michelle Chang. It is useless to resort to such mindless rage. After all, assassins such as her, have neither honor nor dignity. They only kill for coins" Yoshimitsu told Michelle, rebuking Nina in the process.

Hearing this made Nina glare daggers at him. "Watch it, swordsman. If it weren't for this tournament, I could've easily made you look like an accident" she threatened him, yet Yoshimitsu didn't seem intimidated to say at least. "Trust me, each of us don't have to be friends here. So don't get any ideas" she added.

"The feeling is mutual" Yoshimitsu responded, he too having some reservations about being put on the same team as Nina, although it was better than being stuck with either Bryan or Kunimitsu.

Speaking of Kunimitsu. She was already trying to know her teammates better. She watched as Claudio and Dragunov were having a conversation between one another, despite the fact that Claudio was the only one talking. Dragunov only stood and listened with little enthusiasm.

"To be put on the same team as the infamous White Angel of Death. I must say I am honored" Claudio remarked, yet the Italian exorcist was far from amused by Dragunov's epithet. "Still, you are no divine creature. If you ever became a member of the Archers of Sirius, you would have known about what a true divine creature is" he added smugly.

Still, Dragunov gave no response, simply staring at Claudio with empty eyes. Given his mission, the Russian soldier could not afford to let it be leaked to the public. That's why he kept himself shut.

"He doesn't seem to be in a talking mode" Kunimitsu noted before glancing at Claudio. "Which leads me to this question. You haven't entered the tournament to seek appeasement from the Zaibatsu, haven't you?" the masked kunoichi questioned him.

Claudio mused to himself. "You caught me, signora. As a matter of fact, there is someone I wish to capture. A devil whose flames must be extinguished before it reduces everything to ashes" the exorcist told her before facing Dragunov once again. "I believe you possess some knowledge about his man. The one called Jin Kazama" he told him.

To moment Dragunov heard that name, his usually cold eyes widened in slight surprise. The Russian man couldn't believe his ears. Did Claudio also know about the powers Jin possessed? Apparently, he did.

"Your reaction alone proves it. Now as for my plans. I will reveal every detail to you once we get into the suite. And trust me, I could use this newfound friendship. We may be getting along with each other just fine" Claudio told both Dragunov and Kunimitsu with a cunning expression.

 _To be continued…_


	18. Three for All

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Three for All**

 _Around the streets of Tokyo, Japan_

Ever since the second phase of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7 had been announced, every contestant that had passed were split into smaller teams. That was all part of "Three for All" as the phase had been named by Heihachi Mishima. For what reason, the fighters had yet to understand. Even so, being split into many different teams gave people plenty of opportunity to get to know each other, albeit not in the friendliest terms for some.

In an alleyway not far from the Mishima Zaibatsu's HQ, Team 9 consisting of Leo, Miguel and Josie were trying to get better acquainted with one another, yet Miguel was so far not very participating.

"So we're on the same team, huh?" Josie remarked before reaching out a hand to Leo. "Well, I guess an introduction is an order. My name's Josie Rizal" she introduced herself.

Leo was more than happy to make a new friend, so she shook Josie's hand. "Nice to meet you. My name is Eleonore Kliesen, but my friends usually call me Leo" she replied. Leo could see how confused Josie was, yet she tried to laugh it off. "I know. It sounds like a boy's name, but in Germany, it's an appropriate short for a girl's name" the blonde-haired girl insisted to him.

Josie had to admit that she was interested in what she was hearing. "Okay. I'm just not used to learning new names, especially Western ones. I'm from the Philippines by the way" the young girl then told Leo.

"The Philippines? Wow. I've heard that you both speak your own language in addition to Spanish, isn't that right?" Leo asked her.

Josie nodded her head. "True. But I'll admit that I know vert little Spanish. But English, I know a lot about" she assured Leo.

Miguel didn't know how to get himself into this conversation. So he decided to find a way. "So I get put on a team with an alemana and a Filipina? Must be my lucky day" he said with sarcasm in his voice.

While Leo only glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, Josie was intrigued. "Oh my gosh. You speak Spanish? That's awesome! What's your name?" the Philippine girl asked him.

"Me llamo Miguel Caballero Rojo. Soy de España. That's all you need to know" the Spaniard said, not mincing his words one bit.

"So that's your name, huh? It sounds like a nice one" Josie spoke up, unsure of whether Miguel was getting friendly or not. Then again, she had to admit that he did indeed look handsome. "Gosh, you're a tall one. That's for sure" she then admitted.

Miguel felt dumbfounded when she said that to him. "Well, what did you expect, idiota? Not every Spaniard is small and fat as foreigners think they are. Just look at me" he replied back, showing a hint of hostility towards Josie.

Leo could tell that Miguel had a chip on his shoulder, so she decided to intervene. "There's no need to be hostile. She was only complimenting your size. That's nothing to get all worked up for" the German girl told him.

"If you say so, león" the Spaniard replied back with an insult.

"León. Is that how you say Leo in Spain?" Leo asked him, starting to feel a little puzzled.

Miguel scoffed at her question. "You're kidding, right? I didn't know you were that ignorant. In Spanish, león means lion. And in Latin, leo is lion" the then revealed some important details.

Leo was fuming with anger to hear Miguel's comment about her name. "Hey, don't insult my name! I like it!" she told him.

"I'm telling you the truth, mocoso. Those words mean lion and calling yourself Leo is lame, you might as well call yourself Simba" the Spaniard then tried to convince her while waving hand at her whimsically.

Before Leo could open her mouth to retort, Josie stepped in between them. She had a great idea on how to change the subject, as well as cool off the animosity between Leo and Miguel.

"So we each come from different countries. And we may have one thing in common when it comes to fighting. But what do guys do outside that? I mean, do you have jobs?" Josie asked them, trying to go to the next phase of making new friends.

Leo seemed more than happy to respond. "You bet. I'm a speleologist. As such, you'll always find me searching caves and tunnels for anything that's worth a challenge" she answered Josie with a smile.

"Wow. So you do spelunking? Sounds interesting" Josie said before facing Miguel. "What about you, Miguel?" she asked him, only for Miguel to shook his head as a no.

"Sorry. I'm currently desempleado. However, I do earn a living by winning brawls" he told her as honest as he could. But a part of him was somewhat reluctant to answer her that.

Josie could tell that Miguel was not happy to answer her this, so she immediately withdrew her question. "Oops…I'm sorry. I understand that you don't wanna talk about it. I mean, nobody wants to tell people they are jobless. But I was only trying to start a good conversation with you" she insisted, before deciding to tell her teammates about her profession. And she would definitely be honest with them. "I've had several jobs over the years, yet I've managed to improve my career. Back on the Philippines, I was a part-time model and a part-time professional kickboxer. But now, I work as an officer in the Tekken Force" she told them with pride.

Leo was stunned to hear what Josie just said, let alone how she could be so casual when saying that. More importantly, she was even stunned to realize that this sweet, friendly woman, was a member of the Tekken Force. That revelation came out of the blue.

But for Miguel, hearing the word Tekken Force brought back painful memories of his past. He quickly began recalling the tragic day his sister died, during her wedding day. It was an air raid conducted by the Mishima Zaibatsu. Even to this day, Miguel would never forget the day he held the lifeless body of his sister. That moment was a nightmare becoming a reality.

Josie could see that Miguel was behaving strange, and she wondered why. Like any friend, she decided to ask what his problem was. "Umm…...are you feeling okay, Miguel? You look kinda…." before Josie could even finish that sentence, she was given a punch to her face. It was outrageous. The Philippine girl was lying onto the ground, feeling blood dripping from her lips. She looked up at the tall Spaniard in terror.

"Estúpido Filipina…..." Miguel said lowly, his gloved fists clenching. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU HAVE DRAGGED YOURSELF INTO!? PUTA PERRA!" he angrily swore at her.

Leo's eyes widened in disbelief. Miguel had just punched Josie out of the blue, and she was sitting on the ground in tears. Knowing that things could get uglier, Leo decided to stand up to him.

"JUST WHAT IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!? WHY DID YOU PUNCH JOSIE!?" Leo angrily demanded an answer out of him.

Despite seeing this, Miguel was not backing down. "Vete a la mierda! You know the Tekken Force and all the atrocities they have done throughout the world! They launched air raids that took innocent human lives!" he said, starting to get more personal within him. "And in one of those air raids in Spain…...they bombed a church that was hosting a wedding, but not just any ordinary wedding…THE WEDDING OF MY YOUNGER SISTER!" Miguel then cried.

Not only was Leo stunned by this. Even Josie couldn't believe her own eyes. Despite the pain she felt on her left cheek, she couldn't help but to think about the words Miguel had said. "No way…did the Tekken Force…...bomb a church?" she wondered, slowly getting up on her feet as she kept pondering. Rubbing her sore left cheek, she faced the angry man. "Hold the phone…...Mr. Mishima told me that the Tekken Force did bomb cities, but they would never bomb places of worship such as churches! Especially when there were people inside!" she then insisted to him.

The rage in Miguel consumed him once again. "Mierda! During that bastardo Jin Kazama's reign of the Zaibatsu, they took everyone! In that air raid, even the priests weren't spared of their onslaught! Isn't that enough to convince you!?" he roared and was about to confront Josie once again. But Leo stood in his way, preventing him from getting to her. This only agitated Miguel. "Mueve tu culo! This is between me and her!" he spat at the German girl.

"There's no need for more violence! Can't you see what you're doing to yourself right now!?" Leo hit back, yet Miguel was not giving up on forcing her to move. As she tried to put his hands on her, Leo swatted his hand away. "Don't you even dare putting your hands on me, Dummkopf! If you wanna carry on being a simpleminded brute, then I'm more than willing to teach you some manners!" Leo warned him.

Miguel could no longer let words sway him. At this rate, all that existed within him was rage. Reasoning was pointless. But before he could even launch his attack upon the German girl, Josie intervened just in time. Standing right before Leo, she grabbed Miguel's arm and held it tightly. As much as the angry Spaniard wanted to move his other arm in order to assault Josie, something prevented her from doing that.

Josie faced Miguel with nothing but eyes of sympathy. But whether she really felt sorry for Miguel remained disputed. Still, the Philippine woman never took her eyes off him. How Josie had the courage to look him in the eye, Leo could never know.

"If you have experienced a traumatizing episode and the loss of a loved one because of the Tekken Force's actions…then I must give you my condolences. I assure you, I was never part of whatever air raid you are talking about. But even if I was taking part in it, I would've never in my entire life agreed to bomb civilians, let alone churches. I know that I can't take back what happened, but I humbly apologize to you" Josie spoke up, her voice being soft-spoken than usual. It was enough to calm Miguel down, the young man very confused at what to do. "So I beg of you, no more violence. You already managed to land a punch on me. That should be enough to take out your frustrations. But please, don't let anger consume your mind. Isn't that what your sister would've wanted you to do?" she then tried to soothe his pain and grief.

Miguel felt his entire body spin around in confusion, unable to decide how to respond to Josie's plea. But surprisingly, the Spaniard closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. He lowered his arms, causing Josie to let go of the one she was holding. She and Leo could tell that despite what they saw on the outside, Miguel was slowly calming down.

Miguel didn't say anything to either of the girls and turned around to walk away from them. He never stopped to look at them, let alone open his mouth. All he did was walking away, proceeding through the alleyway.

"Hold the phone! Where do you think you're…" Leo was trying to ask where he was going, only for Josie to block her passage. She shook her head at her. This only encouraged Leo to keep her mouth shut and let Miguel walk away. Once he was gone, the German girl looked at the injury on Josie's face. "Hey, are you alright? You almost look bruised on your cheek. That punch must've felt painful for you to bear" she asked her in a concerned tone.

Still, Josie tried to brush it off. "Don't worry, I've had worse injuries" she told Leo, only to frown and let out a deep sigh as she kept thinking about Miguel. "But I had never expected this to happen. I know that people across the globe each has their misgivings about the Mishima Zaibatsu…but I never expected some of their hatred to be that strong. I could tell it by looking into Miguel's eyes. They were filled with both anger…...and sorrow" the Philippine girl admitted, starting to feel a little sad over what she had witnessed.

Leo put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't speak as if you're responsible for the tragedy he suffered, Josie! Yes, he did loose a family member, but you were not involved in this! He should've taken out his anger on the Tekken Force soldiers at the HQ instead of you! But he is completely out of control! What kind of man put their hands on a woman like that!?" she tried to make Josie realize that she was not involved in the air raids.

"I know. But still, Miguel is not the first person to have expressed his hostility towards my reputation as a Tekken Force member" Josie then spoke up, thus slightly surprising Leo. "That's right. Even my family back on the Philippines disapprove of my choices. But they don't understand that I'm doing this for their benefit" she added.

Leo could fully understand what Josie was talking about. She had not joined the Tekken Force simply because she loved the Zaibatsu. No, it was for the sake of helping her family, who were probably struggling with their finances. Leo also believed that the tournament's reward had also motivated Josie to enter it. Not wanting to go into personal matter, Leo decided to not ask Josie more questions about her reasons for being in the Tekken Force.

On one of the many pedestrian bridges in Tokyo's streets, Team 3 consisting of Paul, Steve and Marshall were seen watching the ongoing traffic that was busy. It was quite a traffic jam they were seeing. This was Tokyo, after all. But right above them was what appeared to be a freeway and it sure made quite a noise, much to Paul's annoyance.

"Oh God, I just hate Japanese freeways! One of the few things I don't like about Japan. Alongside the Mishima family, of course" Paul admitted as he looked up, poking his ear in the process.

Steve mused to himself in hearing this. "Hmm, what's so different about Japanese freeways that the American ones don't have?" he asked, only for Paul to glance at him questionably. Steve shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just asking. In my opinion, freeways are all the same to me. Just look at the ones in Britain" he pointed out, trying to make a valid point.

"You're not on the road as much as I am, Steve. If you were, you would know the answer" the Judo fighter explained to him.

Meanwhile, Marshall was in deep thought, given that he had been surprised by what Heihachi had just decided to do with the contestants. His teammates could see that based upon the expression on his face. "I just don't get it. First, me and Paul travel across the Pacific, busting our asses while dealing with surviving the round. And now, that old coot Heihachi decides to split us into different teams?" he wondered to himself, although he was thinking too loud, given that his friends could hear it.

"Um, Marshall. Maybe you should stop thinking too loud. It's getting pretty annoying, if you ask me" Paul suggested to his best friend.

The Chinese-American fighter glanced at Paul unfazed. "Speak for yourself, Paul" he told him nonchalantly.

"I take it you guys had a rough trip on the seas. Doesn't sound like a wonderful experience. I can't imagine how stressful it must've been for the two of you" Steve told them, before deciding to speak up his mind about the tournament. "But I have to agree with Marshall, though. The rules of this tournament are different than the last one. And knowing the kind of person Heihachi Mishima is, I wouldn't be surprised if he began changing the rules to his own amusement" the blonde-haired boxer added, agreeing with what Marshall was saying.

Paul felt like his friend were wasting to much energy pondering about the rules of the tournament. To ease their fears, he reached a round on their shoulders, hoping to convince them how strong they were. "But look on the bright side, guys. At least we're on the same team…until the semifinals, that is" he spoke up.

Steve found Paul to be a funny fellow. "So what brings you to the tournament this time, Paul? Trying to prove you're the toughest fighter in the universe once again?" he asked him in a slight cocky manner.

Paul let out chuckled in hearing this. "Way more than that, Steve. I still have some unfinished business left with Kazuya Mishima" he revealed, much to the British man's surprise. "Yup. You heard me right. I've entered in order to get my hands on that smug bastard. He may not be in the tournament, but I sure as hell know that he'll show up" he added to his reasoning.

Marshall had to facepalm in hearing this. "Yeah, but that sounds very unlikely to happen, Paul. You think the CEO of the G Corporation will just waltz into enemy territory for a rematch with you? I don't think so" the fighter/chef told Paul, causing Paul to glare at him with an irritated look.

Steve couldn't help but to think as he heard Kazuya's name being mentioned. He knew who that man was, let alone seen him in Monaco. From what he had heard from Lei, Christie and Leo, that man was no better than Heihachi and Jin. But still, many people across the world considered him a hero, given the fact that he and the G Corp had been tough enough to stand up to the Zaibatsu's militaristic aggression. Still, the British boxer knew better than to fall for the media's lies.

"Kazuya Mishima, a hero? Bollocks! That man is a liar, like most Mishimas are!" Steve thought, not hiding his distaste of the Mishima family.

At a promenade in Tokyo, Team 2 consisting of Eddy, Katarina and Christie were sitting on a bench surveying the cityscape before them. Ever since they had been put on the same together, Eddy and Christie had not spoken to each other. This made Katarina deciding to take the initiative and become better acquainted with Christie. At first, Christie was skeptical, given that she thought Katarina was a girlfriend of Eddy's or something. Right now, had decided to take a walk, leaving the two girls alone.

"So let me get this straight. You're saying that you and Eddy are not dating? You were enemies to begin with, yet you later decided to team up due to you having common goals. Is that how it is?" Christie questioned Katarina.

"You can call it that, although I just found out recently that me and him share an enmity towards the G Corporation" Katarina insisted to Christie, who listened carefully. "And I'll admit, I did once do the dirty work for Kazuya Mishima…...but not anymore. That bastardo has my father in captivity" the brunette added to her explanation.

Hearing this, Christie couldn't help but to feel slightly sorry for Katarina. She was slowly starting to become more trusting of her. In fact, she even reached out a hand, smiling slightly.

"I'm sorry to hear all this. I didn't know you were in such a terrifying situation" Christie told her. Katarina, who was glad for what she was seeing, shook Christie's hand. "And I apologize for the cold reception earlier. I was too pissed off at Eddy that I forgot how to even think straight. My name's Christie Monteiro" the Capoeira fighter introduced herself.

Katarina smiled in return. "Then I guess I owe you an apology for calling you a pirralho when we first met. I'm Katarina Alves. It's a coincidence that we got put on the same team with Eddy, given that we are Brazilians" she told the girl.

Christie nodded her head in return, yet she couldn't help but to lower her head in shame. "Yeah, I suppose so. But still, I'm not sure if I even wanna be in the tournament anymore. I mean, the reason I came to Japan was to find Eddy. And I did, although I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be happy or not. My grandfather has been dead….and I wasn't even notified" Christie was on the verge of tears while thinking about her deceased grandfather.

Katarina could see the sadness within her. She felt sorry for Christie, yet she was not the type of woman to comfort people. Back in Brazil, Katarina was known to be an aggressive and sassy-mouthed woman, who would always get into fights with bandits, perverts or other women who thought they were better than her. But now, she was making a new friend. Unable to see this girl being in grief, Katarina put a hand on her shoulder.

Christie was surprised, yet she could see that Katarina was facing her in a reassuring manner. "Don't cry, moça. You're not the only one who has experienced a loss" she told Christie. "I've also been through that phase. When I was little, my parents died. As such, I spent several years in an orphanage and that was among the most fucked up years of my life. None of the orphans wanted to play with me. Hell, even the matron at the place was a complete cadela. But all that changed when I was adopted by a man" she explained her story.

The Capoeira fighter was starting to feel a little better, given that she realized that she was not the only one who had gone through something harsh. In fact, she felt inclined to ask more of Katarina.

"I see…...so you're saying that this man is the father whom the G Corp has as a hostage?" Christie asked her gently.

Katarina nodded her head as a yes. "Sim. When he first took me in, I didn't like him to begin with. But in time, I grew to appreciate his kindness and patient nature. He was the only person who understood the kind of girl I was" the brunette explained, trying to hold back her tears as she recalled what she liked about her adoptive father. Her gloved hands even clenched themselves tightly on her lap. "I swear, if something has happened to my pai, those G Corp-idiotas will get a taste of my Savate! That I promise them!" she then expressed her desire to go and rescue his father.

Christie was feeling for Katarina. She knew the feeling of wanting to be reunited with a person she cared deeply about. And given that Katarina had assisted Eddy to survive in the tournament, perhaps it was time that Christie returned the favor.

"Hey Katarina" Christie called out her newfound friend's name. "I think we both have more in common than what each of us really know. So I say that I'll help you find your father. No one deserves to suffer the longing of a loved one" the Brazilian girl told her.

While stunned at first, Katarina had to smile in seeing how helpful Christie was behaving towards her. She had to admit that she was feeling happy to have made a friend out of Christie. It was a rare thing of her to do, given how she usually avoided socializing with people.

"Obrigado, Christie! Then we'll do our best together" Katarina told her.

"What the hell are you talking about?" the two women were interrupted by the voice of Eddy, who had just returned after taking a stroll around the promenade. The man with the dreadlocks crossed his arms while facing them, although he did that specifically towards Christie. "We don't have time for this, Christie. I came here to find you, something I've accomplished. Now, we head back home to Brazil" Eddy told his close friend.

Christie only faced him with slightly angry eyes. But Katarina was the one who was most pissed off about what she was hearing from him. She got off the bench and got into Eddy's face.

"Not so fast, bonito! Since I managed to help you reunite with your close friend, you owe me big time" Katarina told him smugly, trying to not give into his anger. Christie had to giggle, given that her newfound friend called Eddy handsome.

But Eddy only glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "What's done is done! I don't care about those stupid rules of this tournament! I got what I came here for! You can take this hopeless plea of yours someplace else" he told her.

Katarina could no longer control her anger, so she quickly grabbed Eddy by the collar of his jacket. "What did you just say to me!? I'm not pleading you for anything! I'm only reminding you about a favor you owe me!" she spat at him.

In response, Eddy swatted away Katarina's arm. "Besteira! Why in the hell would I do the favor of someone who once worked for the man who killed my….." before Eddy could continue, Christie intervened between the two. She faced him with open dispassion in her eyes. "Oh, give me a break, Christie! You really wanna help her all of a sudden? You do realize how dangerous it is to sneak into the G Corp. And besides, you don't know who she really is! She worked for Kazuya once!" the Capoeira fighter insisted to her.

"You worked for Jin Kazama in the Tekken Force, Eddy! And even after he was ousted as the Zaibatsu's CEO, you still worked for him. So, how does that make you any different?" Christie then asked him.

Eddy gritted his teeth in frustration. Right now, he did not know how to respond to this argument. As much as he wanted to try and trivialize, Eddy knew it was fruitless. No, he could no longer have this attitude towards Christie, especially after everything he had done.

Sighing deeply, Eddy decided to respond. "Alright. Because of my repayment to Katarina, we'll stay in Japan" he said, yet he was very reluctant in saying this. "But still, how do you suppose we will get into the G Corp? Both of you girls are forgetting that the Millennium Tower is strictly guarded. As are other facilities owned by the conglomerate" the man with dreadlocks pointed out.

Christie seemed to have an idea, and both Eddy and Katarina could see that. "You saw that JACK-robot alongside that girl and red behemoth, right? Kazuya may not be at the tournament, but that trio is definitely the G Corp's representatives" Christie spoke about Lucky Chloe, JACK-7 and Gigas.

Katarina mused in hearing this. "Smart thinking, moça. I must say, that trio looked awfully strange. Especially that thing called….Gigas or whatever…..the way it walked and behaved…it was kind of weird" the brunette remarked to what she had seen from Gigas.

"Either way, we best watch our backs from now on" Eddy said and he faced Katarina. "Look, if you wanna rescue your father, then you need to be committed to it. You can't walk away from it. Is that clear" he wanted to make sure that she was ready for this.

"Tch, you don't have to tell me twice! I'm already determined to find him…even if it costs my life" Katarina hit back, getting slightly emotional when thinking about her adoptive father whom she missed dearly.

Right outside the hotel were the contestants of the tournament would be staying for the night, Team 10 consisting of Shaheen, Zafina and Hwoarang were leaning against the wall, watching as all important guests exited their limousines and entered the hotel. Several hotel porters were carrying their baggage. But as time went by, Hwoarang had decided to break the silence by speaking to his teammates.

"So, I get put on the same team as you?" Hwoarang asked Shaheen. But the Shaheen was in deep thought. As such, his eyes were closed. The Korean man sneered at him by this behaviour. "Fine by me, just don't be a headache to me, like Master Baek usually is" he told him.

Shaheen ignored Hwoarang's comment, which only angered him in return. As a matter of fact, Hwoarang decided to test the reflection skills of the Saudi Arabian man. That sounded like a good idea. Grinning cockily, Hwoarang swung her foot straight at Shaheen's face. To his utter surprise, the man wearing the shemagh managed to grab hold of his foot. It was astounding to watch, given that Shaheen had his eyes closed.

Hwoarang whistled in amazement. "Damn…...your reflexes are amazing!" he remarked. Still, Shaheen refused to respond.

However, Zafina did try to talk to him. "Is he always like this? I fear that his impulsiveness will become a liability to us in the tournament" the Egyptian woman asked him. She was starting to grow weary of Hwoarang's boastful attitude. As such, Zafina directed her glance towards him. "Listen, Hwoarang. You ought to start becoming a reliability to us. For me it is a better alternative" she then commented about the Korean man's wisdom.

But Hwoarang didn't appreciate what she said. "Hey, watch it, girly! If it's one thing that I know will become a liability is your false sense of wisdom!" he hit back at her.

Zafina narrowed her eyes at the repulsive man. "Do you presume that you would best me in a challenge?" she questioned him, curving her frown into a smirk. "I am sorry, but my fighting style has existed centuries before Taekwondo did. I have watched how it is performed. Same predictable movements" she tried to get under his skin.

The Korean man couldn't stand hearing his fighting style being spoken of in such manner. He felt that Zafina's statement was both arrogant and unacceptable. "You better take that back! Otherwise, I'd be more than happy to rearrange your face. Trust me, I treat opponents the same, regardless of gender" Hwoarang then challenged her. He even got into fighting position.

Zafina had to admit she was entertained. Therefore, she decided to accept Hwoarang's challenge. As such, she stood in her fighting stance, doing a gesture to taunt him. "Very well. Challenge accepted!" she told him.

Shaheen responded to this commotion by stepping in between his feuding teammates. "If you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate if neither of you interrupted me while I think" he finally spoke, hinting to his annoyance with what his teammates were doing. "Ever since we were put on these teams, I have been trying to figure out what kind of games Heihachi Mishima has in store for us" the Saudi Arabian man told them.

Hwoarang only snorted in hearing this. "Why is that bothering you so much? Hell, I've been in the tournaments since the third one and I still know the rules. But then again, I agree with your assessment of Heihachi" the auburn-haired man told him.

Shaheen narrowed his eyes at him. "If so, then I wonder how being in this tournament so many times has not helped in changing your attitude" he rebuked Hwoarang, much to his irritation.

"But just what are you implying here, Shaheen?" Zafina questioned her teammate, being serious as usual. "Are you saying that Heihachi may have bigger motives for dividing us into smaller teams?" the Egyptian woman added to her question.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. Either way, I am not willing to trust whatever rules that madman has decided in the tournament" he replied to her question. Shaheen was also thinking about a certain individual that he personally loathed. "And let us not forget about that demon…..Kazuya Mishima" he added, recalling the man who had murdered his close friend.

Hwoarang couldn't help but to act surprised in hearing Shaheen say that. "Kazuya Mishima…...you mean Jin Kazama' dad. But currently, that guy's a hero all of a sudden, given that he leads the G Corp" he informed the Saudi Arabian man.

Shaheen shifted his serious gaze towards him. "A serious error of judgement on the world's part. In this war, one can never hope to defeat a madman with a madman" he replied, thinking about the ongoing war between Heihachi and Kazuya.

Zafina decided to fill in on what she felt. "It may be too early for me to suspect, but I sense an aura of darkness wandering around this country. Whether it's one of the Mishimas or any other entity, I have yet to know. Mark my words, my friends. We may be in for something more terrifying than what we really know" the Egyptian woman informed her teammates, who were surprisingly listening to her advice, even Hwoarang.

Not far from where they were hanging out, Team 5 consisting of Wang, Rodeo and King were trying to have their secret meeting by what appeared to be a fountain. Both Rodeo and King had to admit that despite his frail age, Wang was wise beyond their years. Right now, they wanted to know what his reasons for entering the tournament was.

"So you travelled all the way to Japan in order to help out a friend in need?" Rodeo asked him, admitting how it was difficult for him to grasp. "Not gonna lie to you, it sounds like a terrific thing to do. But men in your age should enjoy retirement, not wasting energy on such complications" the soldier told him, trying to be as supportive as he could.

Wang sat by the fountain, listening the words coming out of Rodeo's mouth. The Chinese man was intrigued by this young man's concern for him. Still, he had the answer for Rodeo. "Your concern for is appreciated, youngster. But I have lived on this world long enough to experience the biggest of changes that can happen to any human being. One event alone can change the entire course of history, whether it is a murder, a battle or an enigma" Wang told him, although King was also listening to the conversation.

"Your wisdom is very valuable for me, Wang Jinrei. I am honored to have them shared by you" King spoke up, the elderly man facing him with a gentle smile beneath his long beard. "I can see why my predecessor and my mentor held you in high regard. You've fought them before, haven't you?" he added, speaking of the previous King, as well as the first Armor King.

Wang immediately realized what King as talking about. "Ah yes. You speak of those honorable wrestlers. They were quite the warriors, both of them. I can even sense their spirits within you, youngster" the elderly man commented, his mouth forming a deep frown. "I heard about how each of them died. You have my deepest sympathy" Wang told the wrestler.

King felt enlightened by hearing what Wang just said. "I humbly appreciate your support, revered master. But even though they no longer walk among us, I still carry their legacies. The poor and the downtrodden still has a champion to look up to" King responded, getting slightly emotional as he recalled saying those words. But Wang could fully understand him, something the wrester was aware of.

Rodeo didn't know what to say in order to join in the conversation. However, he decided to be honest with his teammates in regards to why he was in the tournament. "Since we're gonna get cozy with one another, we might as well tell each other our secrets. I'll start by telling you two why I'm in this tournament, apart from apprehending Heihachi and Kazuya's asses" the soldier informed them.

King folded his arms. "Now this is strange. A US soldier sharing his secrets with strangers he barley knew" the masked wrestler remarked, causing Wang to chuckle in amusement.

"Very funny. But look, I'm not trying to hide something from you, guys. The true reason for why I came here to Japan was to search for a certain individual. One that has slowly been taking advantage of this chaos throughout the world" Rodeo explained, trying to get both his teammates to listen.

Both Wang and King seemed more than interested to hear what he was saying. As such, they wanted to know what Rodeo was really after, as they could tell that he had no interest in the tournament and its rewards. Still, the two had their own motives for entering.

"Now I am starting to get intrigued. Someone is taking advantage of this war. Tell me, who is this individual you are searching for, Bo Montana?" Wang asked him.

While Rodeo wanted to correct him with the addressing, the US soldier decided to let it slip, given that Wang was an elderly man. "The one I'm searching for is a man whose identity still remains a mystery, even to the US intelligence agencies. But from what we know so far, he is the leader of a secretive order of cultists, whose goals we have yet to discover. Yet despite hiding in the shadows, that man has been responsible for many atrocities. He is called…...Revenant" the soldier explained, gritting his teeth as he uttered out the name of his hated enemy.

Both King and Wang could see how resentful Rodeo was as he had said that name. But they were even more intrigued by hearing the name of this mysterious person the soldier was looking for.

"By hearing the tone in your voice, it sounds as if you carry a grudge against this Revenant. Did something happen between you and him in the past?" King asked him, he too having once battled to suppress his quest for vengeance.

Rodeo felt very reluctant to answer him. But given that they were teammates, the US soldier felt that King and Wang were people he could trust, despite knowing them very little.

"About a few years ago…..that masked bastard took the life source of the squadron I was leading….he left me alive to let my superiors know how fruitless it was to go after him and his Acolytes of Pluton…..I'll never forget that day…." Rodeo slowly began to recall the day his squadron perished. And of course, it was Revenant's doing. The loss had affected Rodeo as a leader, yet he had not been broken as a soldier. "Although it took a year for me to move on, I still can't forgive Revenant for what he did to my squadron. Yeah, I'll find him and make sure that no one else has to suffer a loss as I did" the soldier continued, telling his teammates that his spirit was not broken.

Wang felt sorry for Rodeo's loss. But the elderly man also felt more intrigued by this Revenant. "An individual who can take one's life source away. What kind of creature is that? It cannot possibly be one of the Devil Gene, can it?" the Chinese man pondered about what Revenant could possibly be. He faced Rodeo with a reassuring smile. "I see that you have interest in the safety of this world's population. That is why you are willing to pursue this Revenant. And from what you describe, he is not of the ordinary" Wang remarked.

Rodeo nodded his head weakly in return. "Yeah. I don't even think that Revenant is human at all. No, it must be a fantasy creature becoming a reality or something. Either way, that bastard deserves to be put down for good" he spoke up, hissing a little while thinking about his hated enemy.

"I see. But you must be careful not to let vengeance guide your mind and soul, Rodeo" King spoke up, thus catching the soldier's attention. The masked luchador nodded at him. "Indeed. While the feeling of revenge sounds tempting, it only seeks to poison and corrupt one human being into something he or she is not. I was once in that phase" King then advised him.

Rodeo got slightly interested and wanted to know more. "What happened?" he asked him.

Knowing that Rodeo could learn much from his experience, King decided to tell him the story of how he once sought to avenge Armor King's death. "When my mentor died during a bar brawl in Arizona, I wanted revenge against his killer: Craig Marduk. During the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, I defeated him, then went over to the hospital in order to finish him for good. But in the moment I was about to end Marduk…..something struck me deeply" King told the soldier, who had been listening to him with eyes of surprise.

"What made you change your mind?" Rodeo asked him.

King was slowly recalling to see what had stayed his hand that day. "On Marduk's nightstand…...I saw a picture of a family…...it was his family. In that moment, I realized that if I killed Marduk, the cycle of vengeance would never end. Marduk's family would have sought me for his death. And that reminded me of something that my mentor once told me. Vengeance will never bring you satisfaction…only misery" King was growing slightly personal as he explained this to Rodeo and Wang. "Therefore, I stayed my hand. And rather than becoming enemies…...Marduk and I ended up becoming friends. He expressed remorse for what he did, and I forgave him. That is how I was able to overcome vengeance and turn it into a new friendship" the luchador felt proud to have told them about what he had accomplished.

"A tough but wonderful choice you have made, youngster. This only goes to show how you are a man of honor and that hatred and resentment will never corrupt your soul. The power that lives within you…..almost surpasses mine" Wang commended King for what he had done.

Rodeo had been in deep thought since he had heard this story of suppressing revenge. "I don't know what I will say. Revenant has done choices that to my standards are difficult to forgive. Still, I realize that there is wisdom in your words" he said while facing King. The US soldier couldn't help but to form a smile as he did that. "That's why I will take your advice to heart. When the time comes and I face Revenant, I'll keep reminding myself about why he must be defeated. Not for the sake of vengeance…but for the sake of this world's safety" Rodeo pointed out, expressing his willingness to not let the death of his squadron affect him emotionally.

Near their location, Nina Williams was on a rooftop spying upon them. She was using what appeared to be a tracking device. The blonde Irishwoman was secretly trying to eavesdrop on the trio beneath him. Perhaps she could learn something valuable from them, especially since Wang Jinrei was in the team.

"So far, each of them has revealed some interesting details. Yet none has ever mentioned Jin, let alone his whereabouts" Nina noted, her device specifically locked on Wang. "And what do you mean by repaying a favor, Wang Jinrei? I know that there is more to your reason for entering this tournament than spending your last breaths in battle" she added, still waiting for Wang to reveal the truth of his entry to the tournament.

As Nina was waiting for an answer, she could hear something approach her from behind, yet she didn't pay attention. The assassin knew who it was. It was the swordsman Yohsimitsu and Michelle Chang. They were together with Nina allied on Team 1.

"Why bother spying on them?" Yoshimitsu asked, yet he got no response from Nina. The swordsman only crossed his arms in seeing this rejection. "If you were wise, you would have realized that even as far as this rooftop, Wang Jinrei can sense your presence" he pointed out to her.

Feeling irritated by this disturbance, Nina turned around to face Yoshimitsu with disapproving eyes. "First of all, you give that old man too much credit for what he is. And second of all, why are you and her bothering me? Didn't I tell you clearly that I wanted to be left alone when doing this?" Nina told her teammates in her usual cold manner.

Yoshimitsu didn't respond, but Michelle did and she looked more outspoken than usual. "We're on the same team, Mrs. Attitude-problems. And if you wanna do some spying, do so with either the Zaibatsu or the G Corp! That old man won't tell his full story as long as you're near him" Michelle answered.

Nina got up and walked towards Michelle. "Why don't you shut up and do as I say before I throw you off this building?" Nina warned her with no remorse.

Still, Michelle was fiery within her and didn't back down. "I'd like to see you try! And would you please wear a different attire to wear than that ridiculous wedding dress? I mean, its so ironic for you to wear such thing, given how miserable you always are" the brunette hit back, insulting her choice of clothes.

"I must agree with her on that one. How did you even manage to get yourself in this outfit anyway?" Yoshimitsu questioned Nina.

As much as the assassin wanted to bust the hell out of her teammates, something stayed her hand. If she made a mess, she would likely cause much noise so that Wang could hear her. Still, she felt she could intimidate them on one way by telling them about how she got the wedding dress.

"You wanna know how I got this? Fine, I'll tell you. You see, this isn't actually my wedding dress. Rather, it's my sister Anna's" Nina replied back to Yoshimitsu's question.

Michelle immediately recognized who that woman was. "Oh, remember her. That sassy brunette carrying around a bazooka. Weird woman" she remarked, recalling what she knew about Anna.

Nina had to slightly muse to herself in hearing Michelle's comment, yet she continued on. "Anyway, around that time, Anna was engaged to an elite soldier from the G Corporation. He was someone I never know much about, yet for some odd reason, Anna had fallen in her heels for him. They were about to get married in Rome, Italy. But I was hired by the local Mafia to kill that man, given that he was indebted to them and had failed to make payments. So I murdered her fiancé and stole Anna's wedding dress. Quite a tragedy, don't you think?" she finished her explanation.

Still, neither Yoshimitsu or Michelle found any humor nor excitement in this. "So that means you have entered this tournament all for the sake of hiding from your sister and the G Corp. You have come to the wrong place, Nina Williams" the ninja told her.

"Honestly, I don't get what fuels this sibling rivalry of yours. I mean, you and her both have the same snotty attitude. Not to mention how pretty immature it looks from my point of view" Michelle spoke up her opinion of what she thought was wrong.

Nina didn't like what Michelle just said, and she almost got into her face once again. But the Native American woman didn't seem scared of her cold rage. "Do me a favor and don't compare me to Anna! As for my beef with her, it's none of our damn business!" she told her, then decided to get under Michelle's skin. "And who are you to judge me for my choice of careers? Doesn't it seem incredibly stupid to go searching a way to grow a rainforest in a desolate state? You need a reality check and a lesson on climate changes" the assassin then started mocking Michelle.

Hearing this brought fuel to the fire that was burning within Michelle. Without hesitating, the brunette grabbed the collar of her wedding dress. She was really mad, given that Nina was, in a way, insulting her tribe and their goals.

"Say that to my face one more time! I dare you!" Michelle snapped at her.

Nina only grabbed Michelle's scar in return, her angry gaze piercing into the brunette's. "I just did, you delusional numbskull! Now unhand me before I ring your neck!" the assassin warned her.

As things were escalating between the two women, Yoshimitsu was trying to find a way to interrupt them. The swordsman was in for a surprise when he could spot something on what appeared to be the rooftop of the hotel the contestants would be staying at.

"Hold it, ladies! This isn't the time to cause senseless drama! I see three individuals on the top of the nearby hotel!" Yoshimitsu berated the women, walking towards the edge to get a better look at who these people were. He was joined by Nina and Michelle, who had surprisingly managed to heed Yoshimitsu's words. Soon, he realized who these people were. "I see! It is the members of Team 11. What are they doing up there?" he wondered.

Nina quickly activated her tracking device, zooming in on the targets. "It's that trio representing the G Corp. They could perhaps prove useful with information. So don't make any noise and let me see what they are doing" the assassin told her teammates, concentrating exclusively on Team 11.

Yes, the ones standing on the rooftops was indeed the trio consisting of Lucky Chloe, JACK-7 and Gigas. From the looks of it, Chloe seemed to be in a very bad mood, and none of her compatriots couldn't grasp what it was that kept bothering her.

"Argh! I can't believe this! Not only are we dragged into the second round, we weren't placed up on which team we would fight! Just what is that old geezer planning on doing with us!?" Chloe threw a tantrum like most teenage girls at her age would.

Gigas remained mute, yet JACK-7 seemed to be the only one responding to Chloe's meltdown. "According to my calculations, Heihachi Mishima is playing his cards. He may have figured out the fact that we represent the G Corporation, which is why we were put on the same team" the giant robot explained his hypothesis.

Chloe faced him with a huff. "Still, it's not fair to keep us waiting! I swear, I'm having second thoughts about agreeing to entering this lame tournament!" the blondie snapped while crossing her arms with open dispassion within her.

All of a sudden, JACK-7 felt his entire systems beeping within him. Reaching his hand out, the giant robot began activating what appeared to be a mini-hologram. It brought the attention of both Chloe and Gigas. "Incoming call from the boss. Standby" JACK-7 spoke up. As such, he began showing a mini-hologram of Kazuya Mishima. The CEO of the G Corporation was seen standing there with his arms crossed.

" _Well met, my trustworthy subjects. I must first start this meeting by congratulating each of you for passing the first phase of the tournament. I knew I made the right choice in sending you instead of Anna or Bruce to represent the G Corporation_ " Kazuya spoke through the hologram, praising his team. They could all tell that he was really amazed by them.

Hearing her boss praising her efforts really lightened the mood within Lucky Chloe. As such, she fixed her eyes upon the hologram with gleeful eyes. "Awww! Thanks, boss! That means a lot do me! It almost makes me wanna blush!" Chloe giggled, trying to not feel blush when hearing him praising her.

Still, Kazuya remained unfazed at her behavior and decided to move on. " _Now then, I am certain that none of you stumbled upon Jin Kazama. But what I would like to ask is whether you stumbled upon certain individuals whom have had previous links to him in the past. Who were they?_ " the spikey black-haired man questioned his subjects.

When he heard what his boss said, JACK-7's eyes quickly began peeping red. As a matter of fact, his eyes were now showing some hologram pictures of Nina, Xiaoyu, Eddy, Paul, King and Yoshimitsu. "I managed to identity each of these individuals as former associates of Jin Kazama. Their participation in the tournament has been confirmed" JACK-7 told his superior before the hologram pictures changed and it showed them that of Steve and Asuka. "But while we were fighting, I also managed to collect date from these two individuals. They have a connection to Nina Williams and Jin Kazama respectively" he added to his analysis.

Kazuya had to get a closer look at them. " _Hmm…...that miserable assassin had a boy…but his blood type seems…familiar somehow…."_ he remarked while studying Steve's file. Moving on, he looked at what Asuka's file had. " _That little girl…a Kazama…...impossible. I never thought I would hear that name ever again…_ " Kazuya added, slowly reminiscing about how he came to know the name Kazama, and not from his son.

As soon as JACK-7 removed those small holograms, Lucky Chloe got up to the hologram of her boss once again. "Excuse me, boss? But have you been watching the events through JACK-7? If so, then what are supposed to do now that we're not up against someone?" the teenage girl asked him.

" _Calm yourself, Chloe. Don't let Heihachi's schemes intimidate you. Yes, I watched how he announced the next phase of this ridiculous tournament of his. But that being said, you three are to continue staying in the tournament as our moles. However, if Heihachi is up to something, you are all to exit the tournament and return to HQ as quick as you can. Is that understood?_ " Kazuya explained everything his team was supposed to do.

JACK-7 saluted at his superior in return. "Affirmative" he quickly responded.

Chloe also did the same thing, saluting with her paw-like gloves. "Yessir! We'll do our best! And don't worry, we're not gonna let that old creep trick us into playing this game of his. When he plays his cards, we'll strike back. Promise!" the cosplayer said, trying to boost her morale, although her boss was not buying it.

Still, Kazuya formed himself a smirk on his lips as he heard that. " _Good to know. Now I expect each of you to be my eyes and ears outside the Millennium Tower. I need Anna and Bruce at my side with regards to organizing our forces. We are expecting a very important visitor tomorrow. So, do not return to HQ unless you're commanded. That is all I have to say to you. Until we meet again, good luck to the three of you_ " those were the final words he said before the hologram got switched off.

Once her superior had ended their conversation, Chloe began once again to throw a fit. This time, it was out of frustration. "Damnit! Why didn't I voice my opposition to his plans when I could!?" she wondered aloud, only to snap in realization. She found herself blushing a little. "But I couldn't help myself…...hearing how I got praise filled me with so much…" words alone couldn't describe how satisfied and confident the cosplayer felt.

While listening to Chloe's rant, JACK-7 couldn't help but to stare to his left, towards one of the nearby skyscrapers. His scanners began searching for any potential spies, yet they surprisingly found none. This concluded his suspicions. The robot turned his attention towards his compatriots.

"Now that we know what our next mission is, we best stay here for the rest of the day. The sun is going down and the evening is coming" JACK-7 informed both Chloe and Gigas.

Chloe stared at him with a cooked eyebrow. "You're saying that you need to sleep?" she quizzed him.

"Negative. I am simply stating the current events, as well as our best courses of action" JACK-7 replied.

The teenage girl shrugged her shoulders and proceeded to lead her "partners" into the hotel. "Well, then we might as well head back to our suite. And Gigas, could you please keep yourself shut for the night? I swear, your snoring is almost as loud as when you growl" Chloe questioned the red-skinned behemoth.

But Gigas was immune to her commands. Indeed, he only obeyed his superiors at the G Corp. Even so, he was listening to Chloe's words. Unbeknownst to any of her comrades and even his superiors, something had begun to change for Gigas. Indeed, when his gaze had gotten a glimpse of the woman Katarina Alves, a strange feeling that taken hold of him. The scientists at the G Corp first thought this was only a slight malfunction. But no…...this was more like a recalling. What was Gigas recalling? Was he slowly starting to retain his memories of his past? Only fate would determine that.

 _To be continued…_


	19. Plan to Achieve Victory

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Plan to Achieve Victory**

 _Inside the restaurant and bar in a hotel, Tokyo, Japan_

This hotel that was partially owned by the Mishima Zaibatsu was loaded. As such, it had everything luxury could offer, including a fancy and expensive restaurant. But for the contestants of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7, everything was free! They wouldn't even need to pay a cent for their stay or whatever. Now, some of these contestants were deciding to use these opportunities while they still could.

Inside the restaurant, Ling Xiaoyu was eating with her teammates, Julia Chang and Robert "Bob" Richards. The Chinese girl had told them about everything she had been through since the end of the previous tournament and both Julia and Bob were surprised when they heard the fact that Xiaoyu had been with Jin.

"So you're saying that you were with Jin? During that fight above Tokyo skyline?" Julia asked, feeling curious to know more about this story Xiaoyu was telling them.

Xiaoyu weakly nodded her head as a yes. "Yes. But after the explosion…...I first began assuming that Jin had died. But I knew that it was too good to be true. He's alive…...I just know it!" the girl with the pigtails told her newfound friends.

Bob, who was munching on some chicken wings, had been listening, although he was more concentrated on eating. "Wow that's quite an assumption, missy" Bob spoke with food in his mouth, much to the girls' disgust.

Julia shook her head at him. "Bob, can you please refrain from speaking while you're eating? At least try swallowing the food!" the brunette told him.

"Oh. Sorry about that, Julia! I'm just so hungry!" the blonde-haired man said in return before continuing the consummation of the chicken wings. But the eating didn't stop there. A waiter suddenly came at their table and put a cheeseburger on a plate before Bob. He seemed happy in seeing it served to him. "Finally! I was wondering when the cheeseburger would come" Bob said, feeling salvia drop from his lips as he was staring at that wonderful cheeseburger.

Xiaoyu had a hard time understanding Bob's choice of food, let alone how he could possibly be a fighter. "Seriously? You can you be a fighter when you consume that much calories?" she quizzed him.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I'm a martial arts prodigy back in the US. And you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. With this perfect body, I'm able to master three things: speed, power and unyielding weight" Bob responded to Xiaoyu's words before taking a bite of his cheeseburger.

Still, the Chinese girl was unsure about Bob's claims. "I don't know. To be fair, I'm surprised that you haven't gotten diabetes" Xiaoyu noted, yet Bob was not listening to what she said. She then looked at Julia, who shook her head weakly.

"Trust me, I also have difficulties in understanding his reasons for being like this. Even so, Bob's right about him being fast. When I saw his moves in action during the first phase, I couldn't believe what I was seeing" Julia insisted to Xiaoyu before slowly recalling something she had watched. "Hold on, just a second. Bob, you said you were a fighting prodigy once, right? Well, I remember seeing a certain man named Robert Richards and he looked just like you only that he was…..." Julia was given a shocker, and she even gasped slightly.

Bob swallowed the food and looked at Julia with a slight embarrassed expression. "I've no idea what you're talking about! It's not your business!" he snapped, yet he felt himself exposed when saying this. Bob lowered his head in slight shame afterwards.

But Julia only giggled. "Of course! You were that tiny, skinny guy who were always placed against taller opponents!" she then remembered, smiling gleefully at Bob.

The blonde-haired man didn't like what he heard, yet he had to accept that it was true. "Alright. Now you know why I am like this! Will you please let me eat my food without getting scorned or made fun of? Geez!" Bob said and took another bite of his cheeseburger.

Xiaoyu had stopped paying attention to Julia and Bob's discussion. In fact, the Chinese girl had taken notice of the fact that they were not the only team of contestants sitting in the restaurant. Julia wondered why she was being so secretive all of a sudden until Xiaoyu filled her in.

"Look around you. There are other teams sitting here. Just look past the other guests on the hotel" she told Julia and Bob.

Looking around, they could see that Team 4 consisting of Asuka Kazama, Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort and Ganryu were sitting to their far left. And to their far right, Team 10 consisting of Shaheen, Hwoarang and Zafina were sitting and enjoying their meal. And not only that, Team 3 consisting of Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law and Steve Fox were sitting not far from Team 8's table. Needless to say, Xiaoyu and her teammates were not alone. Still, the endless noise coming from the other customers only made it impossible fort them to hear or let alone take notice of Team 8's presence in the restaurant.

"Yeah, I can see them. Truth is, we'll be up against Team 4. It's the one that have this weird Sumo wrestler as their teammate" Julia remarked while slightly glancing over at the table where Team 4 were sitting.

Xiaoyu smiled at her. "True. But I hear he's a Yokozuna. He's also a veteran of the first two tournaments. But from what I know, he's also kind of a showoff" she told her, the young girl not hiding what she thought about the Sumo wrestler she had crossed paths with once.

Hearing this made Julia recall about something she had spoken with her mother about. "He is? Then he's in the same league as my mom. She's also a veteran of the first two tournaments. Maybe that's why he recognizes me so much" the brunette noted, still feeling confused about Ganryu's attitude towards her. "I agree with what you say about him, Xiaoyu. But not only is he a showoff, he's kind of a stalker" Julia informed Xiaoyu about what she knew of him.

Bob couldn't help but to get interested in hearing about Ganryu, let alone his reputation. "So that guy's not only a Sumo wrestler, but a Yokozuna? Cool! I can't wait to see his moves in action. But I bet I've got faster agility than him" the chubby man assured his teammates.

"I'm glad you have confidence" Xiaoyu commended him. But she was thinking about Asuka Kazama, the same girl she had started to form a vendetta towards. Although their fight had been put on hold, Xiaoyu knew that it would return tomorrow.

On Team 4's table, Ganryu was eating chankonabe, and he was feasting on it like a beast. But Lili was slightly stunned at the vast quantity of the chankonabe. The same couldn't be said for Asuka, as she was familiar with Sumo wrestlers and their diets.

"Goodness, is all that stew really healthy for you?" Lili asked the middle-aged man.

Ganryu swallowed the piece of chicken and looked at her. "I'm a Sumo wrestler, eating chankonabe is part of my weight-gain diet. What did you expect me to eat? Carrots?" he informed her, trying to be a little humorous with the blonde girl.

Lili only stroke one of her bangs while giggling to herself. "Eating carrots would be beneficial. Especially to someone who has such robust eyebrows" she told him, only for Ganryu to stare at her dumbfounded.

"I still don't get her deal about robust eyebrows. Tch, kids these days" the Sumo wrestler thought, still concentrating on eating his meal.

Asuka, while she was listening to this talk, yawned deeply. She was slowly but quickly feeling herself getting tired and her teammates could see that based upon her tired look.

"You look awfully tired, Asuka Kazama. Why not try some coffee?" Lili suggested to her.

"And get myself awake for the rest of the night? No thank you" the Japanese girl replied, rubbing her face with her handpalm. "I just wanna go to bed earlier. Fighting both tooth and nail to survive sure takes a toll on your body" she groaned.

Lili giggled in seeing Asuka's behavior and took a sip from her tea. "I assume that you have taken the liberty to find yourself new challengers, haven't you?" she asked Asuka.

Being asked about that really set Asuka to a standpoint. Her teammates wondered what her deal was. "I sure have, Lili. But sadly, I was starting to think that I had made a new friend…...only to later become my biggest challenge yet" she muttered, thinking about Xiaoyu and their intense duel.

Lili's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "So you're saying that you've found someone who's better than me?" she asked.

Asuka sighed in annoyance. "Man, you really are a headache. Of course, she's stronger than you. Truth is, she and her team are sitting here in this restaurant right now. Just look for the girl with the pigtails" she informed them about Team 8, specifically talking about Ling Xiaoyu.

Lili and Ganryu did look at the team, and each of them had different reactions. The Monegasque girl mused in seeing them. "Ah, you must be talking about that Chinese girl. Interesting. How did you and she end up becoming sworn enemies?" Lili said before asking Asuka once again.

The Japanese girl only huffed at Lili. "Bite me! I don't really wanna talk about it" she responded with such hostility, yet Lili was taking pleasure in seeing Asuka getting teased.

Meanwhile, Ganryu had his eyes fixated upon Julia, who had not taken notice of being looked at. The middle-aged man stopped eating, recalling those times he had been chasing after Julia during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5. A part of him had to admit that chasing after the smart brunette was not the most mature thing of him to do.

"Was I blinded by my own love for Michelle? I swore to forget about love after opening Chanko Paradise. But still, I foolishly chased after Julia, despite knowing the huge age-gap between us" Ganryu began summarizing on his past actions. He was slowly realizing how foolish he had been acting towards her. "But right now, as I've seen Michelle returned to the fighting business…my feelings for Julia has all but vanished. But do I still have feelings towards Michelle? I'm so confused right now" the Sumo wrestler wondered, still feeling himself torn between loving someone and desiring to be alone.

"Hey, big guy" Ganryu was interrupted by Asuka, and he did in fact face the young girl. Apparently, Asuka had been confused at the way he was looking at Team 8. "Why are you staring at that team so much? Do you know them?" Asuka asked him.

The middle-aged man quickly got on the defensive, doing his best to hide his emotions. "W-what are you t-talking about! Of course, I don't know them! Absolutely not!" Ganryu replied, much to Asuka's confusion.

Lili giggled in seeing the Sumo wrestler act this way. "I bet you were looking at that obese man sitting over there" she remarked while motioning her head at Bob, causing Ganryu to stare at her confused. "Well I don't blame you. That guy has even more fat in his body than you do. Hard to believe how he survived the first round" Lili added, taking a brief glance at the blonde-haired man eating the cheeseburger.

Ganryu didn't know how to respond, yet he had indeed taken notice of Bob, let alone his obesity. Lili was right, that man was indeed fatter than Ganryu. And it did bring some satisfaction on Ganryu's part. On the other hand, did he indeed have some tricks with that size of his? Ganryu didn't think so.

"Heh. That's because that man is eating all kinds of food with so much calories and fat. My diet can't be compared to his. I never eat hamburgers, hotdogs or other kinds of fast-food" Ganryu insisted to Lili, much to her amusement.

The restaurant was not the only place where the contestants were enjoying their stay at the hotel. Even the bar had customers that were enjoying drinking to their heart's content. Among those sitting by the bar counter was Miguel Caballero Rojo. The tall Spaniard was having a few shots and was the only one sitting before the bartender. From the looks on his face, he seemed pretty miserable. That was because of him getting to know his teammates Josie and Leo didn't turn out positive. For the rest of the day, Miguel had been walking around Tokyo's streets alone, until the evening came.

Since entering the hotel, Miguel had spent most of his time at the bar, drinking as he summarized the day he had experienced. In his mindset, it was not looking pretty.

"Coño! This day has been everything but perfect!" Miguel lamented, taking a sup from his glass of beer. "Not only do I get put on a team with two perras, one of them happens to be a member of the Tekken Force!" the brown-haired man added, still feeling resentful over Josie's current occupation.

After learning about Josie's job, Miguel had angrily punched her, despite her insistence that she was not involved in the air raid that killed his younger sister. As he had lost himself to anger, Josie had stoop up and apologized to him for what had happened. The look in her eyes, as well as the words coming out of the girl's mouth, had surprisingly eased Miguel's rage. But how? Miguel had a hard time understanding that. But deep down inside, this is what his sister would've wanted him to do. She would've never accepted Miguel unleashing blind rage and mindless violence upon people who had not been involved in her death.

"I may have gone too far hitting that girl…...but is cooperating with a member of the Tekken Force the right thing to do? Mierda, my head is filled with so much doubt and resentment" the Spaniard muttered, deciding to drink his pain away.

But as Miguel was enjoying his drink, he was surprised by the appearance of Josie and Leo. Each of them took a bar stool beside him. Even so, he was more stunned by the fact that Josie sat beside him.

"One Mojito cocktail cider for me, please" Josie told the bartender, who immediately began working on her drink.

"I would like the same thing as well" Leo spoke up, and the bartender was already on his move.

As the two girls were waiting for their drinks, their aggressive teammate wanted some answers to what they were doing. But so far, only Leo was looking at him. Josie still had her eyes on the bartender. This was probably done as an attempt to avoid eye contact with Miguel.

"Oye. What are you two doing here?" Miguel asked the two of them.

"You've got some nerve asking us something like that. We've been worried about you walking around Tokyo on your own, you know" Leo pointed out.

Miguel snickered. "Tch, I'm a grown man. I can perfectly handle common Japanese criminals on my own" he pointed out.

"Or, you could've started a brawl that would potentially land you in prison. That would've been a selfish thing to do for us, given that we are your teammates" Leo spoke up, once again trying to reason with Miguel. But she could see how he kept ignoring her words. "Look. I get it. I'm also not a fan of getting split into different groups. But if we're gonna make it to the semifinals, then we have to work together, even though it irritates me a little that I have to work alongside someone who briefly worked on for the G Corp" the German girl then spoke up, revealing what she knew about Miguel.

The angry Spaniard faced her. "How do you know that!?" he demanded from her.

Leo remained tough, despite his aggressive attitude. "It doesn't take a detective to find out that you were captured by Kazuya Mishima and forced to hunt down Jin Kazama. I've searched through your files" she revealed, and her drink along with Josie's were served.

Still, Miguel felt angry with what Leo told him. "So what if I did? I only agreed to become Kazuya's ally in order to get my hands on that insolent son of his. I'm my own boss now. What happened in the past stays in the past. So, get off my case, mocoso" the Spaniard hit back.

As much as Leo wanted to beat up Miguel for saying that, she restrained her fury. Yes, Miguel was not worth her energy, let alone time. Rather, she concentrated on her drink. "Whatever you say, Dummkopf" she muttered lowly.

Josie had been listening to what her teammates were arguing about. Still, she kept to herself. Based upon Miguel's rude responses to Leo, he was in a bad mood. And now, Leo was slowly creating a bad mood on herself. The Philippine girl sighed, yet she quickly looked at Miguel firmly.

"Listen, even though I want to punch you for what you did to me earlier today….I won't" Josie spoke up, revealing something that was very unexpected of her. She didn't the Spaniard's attention, yet decided to keep speaking up. "In truth, I forgive you. You were not in a good mood and I can sympathize with your distaste of the Tekken Force. But I assure you, I have no bad intentions for joining it" she went on to explain her reasons for being a member of the Tekken Force.

Surprisingly, Miguel glanced at Josie warily. The young girl could tell that he didn't like hearing what she was saying. "What the hell do you know about my pain? And as far as I know, the Tekken Force are hated by almost everyone on this world. Except for you and the other Zaibatsu-groupies, that is" he rudely replied.

Josie felt frustrated by hearing Miguel's constant antagonism of her. "You don't get it! My family back on the Philippines is poor. For almost every year, we've had to endure typhoons on our home while struggling to survive! Have you ever experienced something like this with your family!?" the young girl got more personal with attacking Miguel.

Hearing this forced the Spaniard to think about those words. Without even thinking, he immediately grabbed Josie by the collar of her midriff. But Josie was firm, clutching onto Miguel's arm in return. Leo was completely caught off guard by this and tried to intervene.

"Hey! Stop it, you two! We're in a bar, remember? If you start a fight, you will disqualify us!" the German girl pleaded her teammates to stop.

Both Josie and Miguel ignored her, each of them continuing to glare at one another with nothing but open resentment. They were this close to get into a fight. Yet something else prevented that from happening.

"You wanna preach to me about forgiveness and all that bullshit? Well, too bad for you, puta! Because I'm not swayed by such" Miguel spat, his voice filled with venomous words.

Josie felt like letting her tears out. Yet a feeling in her gut told Josie to hold back. Indeed, she would not let some mangy bully like Miguel talk to her like that.

"Forgiveness is an important aspect of life, you idiot! We both know that! Come on, aren't you a Catholic yourself?!" Josie hit back.

Miguel had to admit he was surprised, yet he still tightened his hold on Josie's midriff. But given how hard the young girl's grip was on his arm, the Spaniard eventually let go. In fact, Miguel got off the bar stool and walked away.

Josie was filled with dispassion of what she was seeing. "Go ahead! Be a big crybaby! But sooner or later, you will come back begging for my forgiveness for what you just did to me!" she called out to him.

In response, Miguel flipped his middle finger at Josie, who couldn't believe in what she was seeing. As much as it angered her, she calmed herself. But Leo put a hand shoulder, the two girls watching as their aggressive teammate walked away.

"Just let him go, Josie. His response only proves your point. Honestly, he just doesn't know when to grow up" Leo told her, taking a sip from her drink.

"Yeah, no kidding. But I just hoped that he would at least learn that from another one's perspective. Sheesh. And people back home say I'm a crybaby…" Josie remarked, deciding not to focus on Miguel.

Some of the other fighters in the bar had taken notice of the brief quarrel between Miguel and Josie. Among them was Team 5, consisting of Wang, King and Rodeo. They had watched the episode take place and were now commenting on it.

"Dearie me, that young man sure has a fiery temper. I cannot help but to wonder whether that is a strength or a liability" Wang remarked, taking a sip from his tea.

"If I am to honest, I would say the latter. He was one of the many to be employed by Kazuya Mishima in order to track down Jin's location. But it turns out he's his own boss now. Pobre bastardo" King spoke up, saying Spanish at the end of his sentence.

Rodeo only shrugged his shoulders, not paying heed to what he was hearing. "That guy doesn't scare ya, does he? To me, he behaves in a similar manner to those bullies from my high school years. Not that I was a target of bullying, of course" the US soldier spoke up, facing King once again. "And you say he worked for the G Corp once? Hard to believe they would actually employ him" he then remarked.

"I do not know the specifics, but this Miguel had some form of vendetta towards Jin Kazama. He accused him of being responsible for the death of his younger sister. That's what I've heard about him" King spoke up what he knew.

Wang put down his cup of tea while he was listening to what the wrestler explained. "I see. It all makes more sense now. I can sympathize with his rage towards Jin Kazama" the elderly man told them. "Still, he must be careful not to let blind rage and hatred consume him. That will only destroy his humanity" he added.

King nodded his head at him. "I agree. But I can tell that this man is struggling to overcome it. I was in his shoes once. Overcoming hatred and revenge is no easy task" the Mexican man informed Wang, recalling back to how he had once sought revenge for his deceased mentor.

As Wang heard him say that, he couldn't help but to think about the ongoing feud between Heihachi and Kazuya. Closing his eyes, he began pondering about something very important in the past. "Overcoming hatred…if only you could do that…...Kazuya. Poor boy…what would your mother say if she saw you as the monster you have become?" the elderly man kept thinking about the aggressive man, whom he had known since Kazuya was a little boy, always happy to spar with his grandfather Jinpachi. But something traumatic had changed his life forever. What could it be? Wang seemed to have found the answer, yet so far, he was willing to keep this to himself. But when he found Lars Alexandersson, Lei Wulong or Lee Chaolan, he would then share with them everything he had found from Jinpachi's diary.

* * *

 _Inside Heihachi's office, the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ_

Since the announcement of the second phase of the tournament, Heihachi had already begun plotting his next move. As such, he had summoned all his advisors, as well as Tekken Force squadron leaders and other key members of the Zaibatsu. While he was focusing on the tournament, Heihachi had bigger things to plan. His fight against Revenant in the Mishima Dojo the other day had convinced him to rethink his strategy with regards to dealing with Kazuya and the G Corp.

Right now, he was pacing back and forth in his office, accompanied by Kuma, Tamaki and several soldiers of the Tekken Force. The Patriarch of the Mishima clan was now plotting his next move, and his subordinates did all they could to assist him in these troubling times.

"Sir! We are currently in pursuit of Revenant. But so far, our forces haven't discovered his whereabouts" one of the soldiers walking beside Heihachi informed him.

"But how can we take that thing's threats for real? I mean, we have yet to discover where these "Acolytes of Pluton" are hiding" Tamaki joined in on the conversation.

Heihachi grunted. "He said he was going to kill me and Kazuya, which means he will head for Kazuya next" he told both of them as he approached his desk. Heihachi looked over his shoulder to face Kuma. "Kuma. Is what you are telling true? Was Lars and Lee working together in harboring Jin?" he questioned his pet bear.

Kuma weakly nodded his head in return. "(Yes, master. Me and my squadron were this close in capturing Jin, given that he was in a coma. But those rebels were persistent! They lured us into the facility and escaped before detonating a bomb on the inside! My entire unit was wiped out…even the NANCY!)" he informed his superior, feeling ashamed as he did that.

"So in other words, they escaped with Jin Kazama?" the soldier asked Kuma.

"(How many times must I repeat myself! Of course, they got away! Because of those damn rebels, my dignity as a commander has been shattered! When I get my claws on Lee Chaolan and Lars Alexandersson, I will make them suffer for this humiliation!)" Kuma roared in rage.

Heihachi was amused at Kuma's antics. "Hmm, at least you managed to survive the explosion, Kuma. Despite the missions' failure, I salute your effort. But it has only confirmed my suspicions. Violet Systems and the Tekken Force rebels are working together in shielding Jin. I will have to give them credit for being so slippery. But still, we have yet to find out what they are exactly planning with that miserable punk" he told the bear as he moved around to sit on his chair.

"What is your next course of action, sir? At this rate, we're dealing with many nuisances at the same time. And right while we're busy in hosting the tournament." Tamaki asked her boss.

The old man took his seat and began thinking this through. "Revenant has made his move, and is now baying for Kazuya's blood. Jin is missing…and now I hear that he's currently in a coma, thus unable to oppose me" Heihachi began refreshing the details. As he pondered, he couldn't help but to form a smug smile. "But it looks like I can use this to my advantage. And I know just the right cards to play with" he remarked, his cunning plans becoming a reality.

None of his subordinates could fathom what their leader was planning. But from look on his face, Heihachi was planning something big. After all, he was known to be quite the schemer. Before they could even see it coming, Heihachi rose up from his chair and slammed his gloved hands on his table.

"Tell the world that I have died. The tournament is off!" Heihachi suddenly commanded them all.

The soldiers of the Tekken Force all saluted at his command in return, yet Tamaki, Kuma and other advisors were in disbelief in what they heard him say. None of them had expected Heihachi to say such things.

"Hold on…...you're planning on…...faking your death?" Tamaki asked, finding her boss' idea unbelievable.

"(Master…..)" even Kuma couldn't believe his ears.

Heihachi grinned. "Indeed. Once this message gets sent throughout the world, it will send everyone into a spin. People will get confused as to who is the winner of this war. As such, they will shift their focus on Kazuya and the G Corp" he told them.

"But what about the tournament? If we cancel it now then it's bound to shift people's attention on us. Don't forget, over millions lost their lives crossing the seas to reach Japan. Such announcement wouldn't sit well with the UN or the ICC" a soldier spoke up his mind.

"(He is right, master. And what of those contestants who are currently in the tournament? If we cancel it now, they will suspect something is amiss)" Kuma joined in on the protest.

As much as he was tired of hearing opposition to his plans, Heihachi easily brushed them off. "Heh. You think I don't know those facts? Of course, I do!" he told them, getting smug in the process. "That is why I have already planned for their outcome. By dawn, all the contestants will be dead before they will so much as suspect my plans!" he then revealed.

Both Tamaki and Kuma were stunned by what their superior was planning on doing. They knew what it meant. He would dispatch the Tekken Force to the hotel and start searching for the contestants in each suite, one by one. Then, they would execute the contestants, silencing them for good.

"(Killing the contestants!? How do you expect that to go unnoticed!? And what about my second-in-command?)" Kuma wanted some straight and honest answers out of him.

"You mean Josie Rizal. Oh, don't worry. She will be sacrificed for the greater good" Heihachi declared, yet some of his subordinates were awed by his plans. The old man growled in what he was seeing. "Why are you all acting so surprised? Sacrifice is what it means to be in the Tekken Force! To die in service of the Mishima Zaibatsu. With Josie's sacrifice, I will be able to accomplish my goals of winning this war!" he then justified his reasons for ditching Josie.

The soldiers couldn't believe in what they were hearing. They always knew Josie to be a hard worker, one who strived to get Heihachi's approval. But now, he was keen on throwing her aside as if she was a broken tool. On the other hand, they couldn't help but to see how beneficial his plan was, despite its atrociousness. After all, Heihachi's ruthless way of thinking didn't surprise them much to say at least.

"(Is this the right thing for me to do? While I do admit that little girl is a scaredy-cat, I can't dispute her uttermost devotion to the Mishima Zaibatsu. Turning on her would result in the Tekken Force losing a valuable asset)" Kuma began thinking about the consequences of carrying out his master's orders.

Heihachi faced everyone with his arms crossed. "Clear your doubts. If we are to win this war, we will have to make sacrifices. That is the key to victory" he informed the soldiers and the advisors, who all saluted before him. This only confirmed their loyalty towards the Zaibatsu's CEO.

"If I may ask, sir. How do you plan on winning this war?" Tamaki finally brought up the question, to which her boss seemed more than happy to answer.

"My idea is simple…it involves around killing two birds with only one stone" he responded cunningly, feeling so full of himself as he figured out how he would crush his enemies for good.

* * *

 _On the top of Mount Hiru, Tanzawa Mountains, Japan_

As the night descended upon Japan, it's towns and cities were lightened up beneath the dark skies. But the same thing couldn't be said for the nearby mountains. On the summit of Mount Hiru, the tallest of the Tanzawa Mountains, a certain individual was surveying the wonderous from such a high standpoint. That individual was the cultist known as Revenant. Although it was night, he could see everything, from nearby mountaintops to lights from the nearby city of Yokohama.

Having fought Heihachi Mishima last night, Revenant had wandered through the Japanese countryside. He was beginning his hunt for Kazuya Mishima. The masked man knew that he and the rest of the G Corporation would have knowledge of his presence in the Mishima Dojo, so it was only natural that they knew what he was seeking. He was coming after Kazuya's head.

But he would make his move at dawn. For now, Revenant was gathering his strength, waiting for the time he would unleash his powers upon the CEO of the G Corp. In a way, he looked forward to it. After all, Kazuya was no ordinary human.

"I have longed for an epic battle. But the one against Heihachi was nothing but a bore. His son, on the other hand…" Revenant noted, his gaze facing the direction the Millennium Tower was located at. "The power of the Devil Gene is monstrous indeed. I cannot wait to see how it is to fight it. You show more promise than that old fool your father does, Kazuya Mishima" he added to his statement, unable to contain his excitement to fight Kazuya.

A big question was who in reality Revenant really was. And where did his dark abilities come from? Either way, he was no ordinary human if he commanded such mysterious abilities.

Suddenly, Revenant could notice a presence nearing him. Even so, he still fixed his attention towards the view. But he had to sigh for that reason, given that he knew who that person was and the fact that it was a nuisance to him.

"Just what are you doing here, Eliza?" he asked, calling out the name of what appeared to be a very attractive woman. But she was no ordinary woman, she was a vampire!

Eliza was an attractive, pale-skinned woman with red eyes and black hair. She also had a scrolling black tattoo between her shoulder blades and red horns protruding from the sides of her head. Her hairstyle was quite similar to Lili's only that it was swapped in the lengths of her side locks and hair behind her back. Eliza's outfit was also quite the stunner. She wore a red corset with long tails and silver fasteners over a short black ruffled skirt and separate loose black sleeves embellished with rose decorations on the upper arms. She also wore black stockings, red high-heeled shoes and leg accessories styled to look like a pair of roses wrapped around her ankles. In other words, Eliza lived to her reputation as a vampire.

As she approached Revenant, Eliza let out a deep yawn. "The stench of demon blood can be felt in this country, so I decided to find someone to feed upon. As I was searching for the demons, I accidentally fell asleep on this summit. But even as I am now awake, I still feel so sleepy" she said, rubbing her sore eyes.

Revenant remained standstill. "Hmm. Then why not get some more rest?" he suggested to her.

"Tempting, but no. Why miss the fun while you're around?" Eliza replied, her tone filled with excitement. Approaching Revenant, Eliza tried to grab his shoulders, yet the masked man's dark aura prevented her from doing it. Still, she imagined herself clinging onto him. "Speaking of which, what brings you to Japan all of a sudden? It's unusual for you to be on your own" the vampire asked him, wanting to know Revenant's objectives.

"You already know the answer to that, succubus. I seek a to announce the return of the Gods of Old. Their reign will rise once again. But to do so, I intend on defeating that accursed Mishima family and their allies" Revenant told them.

Hearing this made Eliza smile wickedly. "My, such ambitious goals you have, cultist. As of a matter of fact, it makes me wanna accompany you to accomplish them. But are you certain that you will succeed on defeating them on your own?" she asked him.

"Do not insult me, Eliza. I have already taken care of the foolish patriarch. My next target is his demonic son. You are not needed. But on the other hand, I will be more than happy to give you Kazuya Mishima's corpse. His blood will be yours to feast on once he lies dead before me" the cultist then informed Eliza, trying to tempt the vampire with promises.

In response to this, Eliza licked her lips with satisfaction. She couldn't wait to taste his blood, but knew that she needed to be patient. Yes, that time would come.

"Goodness, such a generous offer you're giving me, Revenant. You can't even imagine how happy I feel right now. Well then, do your best against that devil. I will be waiting patiently" Eliza told him, feeling gleeful to know that Revenant would share his prize with her, in some way.

Using his powers, Revenant started to levitate above the ground. His aura was monstrous that even someone as wicked as Eliza had to back away from. Purple eyes glowed through his mask. He was now preparing to fly towards Tokyo, more specifically the Millennium Tower.

"Then do as I say and you may get your reward. But be careful not to cross me, woman. Despite your appearance and powers, I know for a fact that you are no immortal creature" Revenant said, carrying no remorse for what he just told Eliza. She was only watching him with a surprised expression, wondering what the masked individual was talking about. "Yes, contrary to what the Archers of Sirius and its leader are believing, you are merely a vengeful spirit trapped within a mortal woman's body. And your mind is splintered between those two entities. Come now, haven't you always wondered about your narcolepsy? You ought to be careful whom you dare put your hands on" he told her before vanishing into the skies by flying.

In seeing the masked man flying, Eliza felt herself getting filled with rage and resentment towards him. "That arrogant bastard. Still treating me as if I'm his suitor only because the Acolytes of Pluton have shielded me from those pestering exorcists! My loyalties are my own, since my humanity died 1000 years ago…" she expressed her resentment with Revenant, yet soon found herself feeling tired once again. She let out a deep yawn. "Oh no, now I'm getting sleepier due to the amount of energy I've wasted in getting all upset over doing this rant. Goodness, maybe I should find more blood before I….." the female vampire didn't get to finish her sentence, as she fell into sleep once again.

Given that she was sleeping, Eliza fell on the ground snoring as if was not a big deal. Despite being a vampire, she was narcoleptic, a big disadvantage for someone as enigmatic and cunning as Eliza. But on another note, this was perhaps also due to the fact that the two entities that lived inside of her was unbalanced. Part of her was still human, yet the rest was 100 % vampire. The question that remained unanswered was who Eliza really was.

* * *

 _At dawn, inside a suite in the hotel, Tokyo_

At dawn, most of the contestants were still sleeping. However, Team 11 consisting of Lucky Chloe, JACK-7 and Gigas were somewhat awake. Chloe had just gotten out of the shower and was preparing for the next day.

"Ah, there's nothing like a good shower to start the day. Hopefully this one will be better than yesterday!" Chloe exclaimed, trying to paint a positive image for what was next to come.

As she entered the suite's living room, Chloe could see JACK-7 sitting on the couch while Gigas were standing not far behind him. The blonde-haired otaku got confused, approaching them and taking a seat on the couch.

"What's all this about?" Chloe asked them, jumping to sit on the couch. Once she got a glimpse of what was on the screen, she paused.

 _BREAKING NEWS: HEIHACHI MISHIMA DEAD! THE KING OF THE IRON FIST TOURNAMENT 7 IS OFF! THE FATE OF THE MISHIMA ZAIBATSU UNCERTAIN!_

That was the subtitle that could be read on the screen, as it was showing a news report with two correspondents explaining what had just transpired.

" _Heihachi Mishima has been announced dead of old age, according to a spokesperson of the Mishima Zaibatsu. He was found dead in his personal quarters by his servants this morning. The spokesperson has declared that he will deliver us the news about the Zaibatsu's next move. Regardless of the outcome, this once again is a major change in the continued war between the Zaibatsu and the G Corporation. And from hereby, the King of the Iron Fist Tournament 7 is hereby declared off"_

The trio were stunned as they kept listening, although Lucky Chloe was perhaps the one most shocked. She quickly rose up from the couch in disbelief.

"WHAT THE HECK!? HERE WE'RE BUSTING OUR BUTTS IN THE TOURNAMENT, ONLY FOR HEIHACHI TO DIE FOR NO REASON!? WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE!?" the blonde-haired girl exclaimed, unable to fathom this shocking news.

As Chloe was ranting and getting confused, JACK-7 began analyzing something, using a mini-computer placed on his right arm. Chloe started taking notice of what the robot was doing and looked at him in disbelief.

"What are you doing, JACK-7?" she asked him.

"Initiating hacking into Mishima Zaibatsu database. Must verify whether this report is false or real" JACK-7 responded, tapping on the keypads on his mini-computer.

The cosplayer almost dropped her jaw to the floor. "Seriously!? You mean to tell me that you are now hacking into the Zaibatsu's database!?" she couldn't believe her own eyes. "Man, now I really know what separates you from ordinary JACKs" she then remarked, finding it hard to grasp what JACK-7 was doing.

The humongous robot kept tapping on the keypads, his eyes even glowing red as he did. This only indicated that he was indeed trying to hack into their database. From what Lucky Chloe could tell, JACK-7 was struggling a little, even though he was gifted with such intelligence. Gigas, on the other hand, acted as if nothing was bothering him. He was a mindless killing machine of the G Corp after all. But after few minutes hacking, JACK 7 seemed to find have succeeded in entering their database. On the other hand, he had discovered something shocking while digging through the files.

"Well, what did you find out?" Chloe asked him, wanting to know if he gained some answers.

"We must abort this mission at once. The boss must be informed of the Zaibatsu's plans" JACK-7 told his teammates.

"Well, contact him at once! Now is it true that the news we just saw on the TV was fake?" the cosplayer was feeling very agitated of this situation.

"Correct. Heihachi has brought false information to the world. He is planning on eliminating us once and for all. We must act before he…." JACK-7's explanation was interrupted by the sound of gunshots coming towards them from the windows before them. The windows shattered as a result.

Lucky Chloe quickly hid behind the couch, yet JACK-7 and Gigas managed to withstand the gunshots. It would take more than that to eliminate them on the spot. They both turned their attention to where these shots came from. A helicopter piloted by the Tekken Force were floating right outside the suite, with soldiers readying their rifles.

"HOLY CRAP! THERE'S AN HELICOPTER FILLED WITH TEKKEN FORCE OUTSIDE! ARE THEY PLANNING ON KILLING US!?" Chloe expressed her fear of seeing the soldiers. But she was even more shocked to see what appeared to be a turret gun aimed at the G Corp trio.

Without delay, JACK-7 grabbed Chloe and headed straight towards the suite's exit. Gigas followed suit, the two hulking fighters desperate to avoid getting shot endlessly by the helicopter's turret gun. Behind them, they could hear everything inside getting torn to pieces.

"We must evacuate and flee this hotel. The Tekken Force aims to silence us all before he executes his plan on defeating the G Corporation" JACK-7 told his teammates, still running while holding Chloe close to him.

On the hotel's rooftop, hordes of Tekken Force soldiers had descended from their helicopters. It all became clear to the fact that Heihachi was serious in getting rid of the contestants. The soldiers came in all sizes and with different kinds of weapons.

"You know our orders! Kill every contestant you find! The boss has also placed a high reward for those who kill that G Corp trio!" a commanding soldier informed everyone, trying to ready his subordinates for the hunting.

All the contestants had each their separate rooms, yet the sound of gunshots happening on the suite above them quickly roused them into caution. Before it had happened, they had all seen the news about Heihachi's supposed death, as well as the cancellation of the tournament. With the Tekken Force suddenly hunting them down, all contestants knew that survival was most important as of now.

Fortunately, Teams 1, 2 3, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 10 had all been led outside of the hotel, thanks to the efforts of Wang Jinrei himself. The elderly man had with the help of King and Rodeo, encouraged the other teams he could stumble upon to get outside the hotel and far away from it as quickly as possible. Not bothering arguing against it, they all did that without question. The Tekken Force soldiers were now pursuing them, so they had no choice but to heed Wang's advice.

Eventually, all those teams found themselves in a nearby parking garage. None of the enemy helicopters could spot them, given that they were practically hiding deeper within the facility. When all things seemed safe, Wang decided to assess the situation by looking at the teams he had helped escape.

"I see that most of the teams have made it. But there are few missing" he noted as he surveyed each team that had heeded his advice to escape the hotel.

"Yeah. Teams 6,7 and 11 are missing. But I bet they escaped via the sewer or something" Rodeo spoke up, agreeing with Wang's assessment.

Now, each team were trying to figure out what had just happened. For Josie, it was especially a shock to witness all this. Her boss was supposedly dead, and now her fellow members of the Tekken Force were turning against her. The Philippine girl's eyes were filled with tears.

"I don't understand….how can they turn against me all of a sudden? I'm Kuma's second-in-command, for crying out loud!" Josie expressed her sadness in what she was seeing.

Leo tried to comfort her, yet Miguel had zero sympathy for Josie's sadness. "Tch, that's the way the Tekken Force operates. They lie, steal and kill! I don't understand how long it took you to find out all this!" the aggressive man berated her. But the Spaniard soon took notice of Eddy standing not far from where he was. "And speaking of which, why the hell didn't you rejoin your brothers-in-arms!? You have a lot to answer for, Zaibatsu-pet!" Miguel directed his rage towards Eddy.

The Brazilian man's eyed narrowed at Miguel in return. "Get out of my sight! I've little patience for low-paid hounds of Kazuya Mishima!" Eddy spat back at him.

Feeling triggered, Miguel barged towards the Capoeira fighter, only for him to be restrained by Bob and Shaheen. Meanwhile, Eddy were restrained Katarina and Christie.

"Eddy! Calm down, already!" Christie pleaded to her best friend.

"She's right. Ignore that idiota! He's not worth your time" Katarina joined in on holding back Eddy.

Miguel took notice of Katarina and pointed an accusing finger towards her. "Puta de mierda! Since when did you become that bastardo's friend all of a sudden!?" he demanded an answer from her.

Katarina smirked at him in return. "Not friends. Only friends by coincidence. So don't get all surprised about this, you angry bull" she told him in return.

"Enough of this bullshit!" Rodeo called out, thus shutting everyone from picking fights with one another and vice versa. The American soldier made sure that everyone at least tried listening to what he was about to say. "Look, it appears that we all have been set up by Heihachi Mishima for some reason. And given that he wanted us killed, leads me to suspect something's not right. Can we even be sure that old man has died?" Rodeo explained to everyone.

"He's not dead" Nina Williams stepped forward alongside Yoshimitsu, Zafina and Shaheen. "I managed to download important information from JACK-7 before the Tekken Force interrupted them. He was trying to hack into their database" the assassin informed everyone.

"Hacking into the Zaibatsu's database? Is that even possible!?" Julia expressed her disbelief in what she heard Nina say.

"It is, especially for a JACK-model as advanced as that one" Leo filled her in. "Then again, it's not surprising, given that he, Lucky Chloe and Gigas were sent by the G Corp to probably infiltrate the Zaibatsu while staying in the tournament" the German girl filled her in.

"Which would explain why the Tekken Force were concentrated on taking them out first before coming after us" Zafina remarked, the Egyptian woman starting to grasp what the situation really was.

Yoshimitsu faced Nina. "Did you find out specifically what Heihachi's plans were?" the swordsman wanted some answers out of Nina.

"Not so much, thanks to the Tekken Force's interruption. But I did find out the fact that Heihachi's not dead. This announcement is just a hoax, but for what purpose?" Nina wondered.

"It would appear that he wishes to make his move towards the G Corporation. Obviously, he wants to set things straight with Kazuya Mishima, the conglomerate's current leader. Does he intend to challenge Kazuya to a fight?" Shaheen added up his thoughts.

Suddenly, Wang stepped in the middle, the elderly man wanting to make a declaration of what was bound to happen next. Given that he was powerful fighter, the other contestants couldn't help but to stand and listen to what he was about to say.

"Listen well, young ones. Whatever the circumstances may be, we all know that Heihachi's promises of the rewards have been nothing but lies. As such, I'm afraid there is no need for us to stick into the tournament. If he called it off, then we should do the same thing by exiting it" Wang told them, his voice frail, yet loud enough for everyone to hear. "That being said, it appears that we are all now free to do whatever we wish. I for one have decided to go meet up with an old acquaintance of mine in Kyoto. Therefore, it is here we must part ways" he added to his declaration.

The people before him was shocked at first, yet they soon realized how right he was, given that since Heihachi had tried having them all assassinated, they were no longer bound to stay in the tournament.

Once he said that, Wang turned around and began walking away, even waving his hand at them as a goodbye. But he was stopped by the voice of Xiaoyu, his distant relative.

"Hold up, gramps! Why are you heading to Kyoto?" Xiaoyu asked, demanding some answers. But the Chinese girl soon got a clear thought of what he was doing. "Wait a second…are you going after Jin?! ANSWER ME!" she then snapped, yet Wang kept walking.

Even so, the elderly man did in fact reply to Xiaoyu's question, looking over his shoulders as he walked. "Wrong, little girl. I have zero interest in that madman! As I said earlier, I will meet with an old acquaintance of mine in Kyoto. For your own sake, I advise you to stop searching for Jin Kazama. The same goes for the rest of you youngsters. Do not yourselves into troubles that you will soon regret" Wang told Xiaoyu and the others, soon disappearing out of the garage.

But even as the old man vanished, some of the fighters started following him. King, Nina, Yoshimitsu, Miguel and Josie all followed him out of the garage. Were they trying see what he was truly after? These answers were something that only those fighters had.

Seeing the old man leaving, Rodeo quickly started recalling everything that he had heard recently, including the reason why Heihachi would simply fake his own death. Suddenly, something hit in the soldier's mind. He remembered the fact that Heihachi had battled Revenant yesterday and had lost. Could it be for that reason he had faked his death? Soon, everything became clearer to the soldier.

"Revenant…...he's headed for the Millennium Tower…..that has to be the reason why Heihachi has done this act….he's planning on using this confusion to move against the G Corp and Revenant" Rodeo managed to think things through and proceeded to run out of the garage.

But like Wang, Rodeo was also being followed by some of the fighters. Eddy, Katarina, Christie, Leo, Shaheen, Zafina, Paul and Marshall all followed the soldier, given that he had mentioned the G Corporation before them. Each of these fighters may had different motives for going after Rodeo, but they all had one thing in common: to find Kazuya Mishima.

As each fighter went their separate ways, Xiaoyu only stood still, her eyes filled with nothing but resentment in what her distant relative had told him. But she was soon approached by Julia and her adoptive mother Michelle, the two brunettes admitting they were surprised to hear what the Chinese girl had said.

"So you're looking for Jin Kazama as well?" Michelle asked her, to which Xiaoyu nodded her head weakly in return.

"I am. But finding him has been rather difficult. If only I knew where to find him" Xiaoyu responded, hanging her head in sadness.

"Don't worry, we'll help you" Julia said, thus surprising the Chinese girl. "You heard me right. And given that Wang Jinrei is seeing someone in Kyoto can only mean one thing. He's meeting Lee Chaolan" she added with slight excitement in her voice.

Michelle glanced at her adoptive daughter with a raised eyebrow. "You mean that business tycoon you used to work for in the previous tournament? But why him?" she asked, getting confused. "As much as I admire Wang Jinrei's wisdom, I still can't help but to feel a little puzzled at his motives" she then admitted.

"Isn't that obvious? That dude knows where Jin Kazama is!" Hwoarang spoke up, but he was not alone. Joining him were Bob, Ganryu, Asuka, Lili and Steve. "He and that girl told us everything about what they had done before entering the tournament and stuff. So they know where he lives" the Korean man spoke up.

Asuka fumed with anger. "My name's Asuka, you damn pirate!" she snapped at him, yet Hwoarang didn't seem to care about her outburst.

Steve faced Xiaoyu with a nod directed towards her. "I know where Violet Systems has their HQ. As a matter of fact, one of my friends with Lee Chaolan at the moment" he politely said, yet frowned soon after. "But I could care less about your search for Jin. That bastard isn't worth shit" Steve then told her, much to the resentment of Xiaoyu.

Bob stepped forward. "While I admire your desire to find Jin, I must agree with what Wang says and stay out of his business. Can you even assume that he is a good guy as you say he is?" the Mexican man wanted some honest answers out from Xiaoyu.

Now Xiaoyu was getting angry of being questioned like this. "Look! I'm gonna find Jin whether I live or die, so you can all butt out for all I care!" she retorted and was about to walk away, until Lili stood in her way. "What do you want!?" Xiaoyu demanded.

"Now, now, angry pants. There's no need to get all hissy with me. In fact, I'm offering you and those who are interested a ride to Kyoto" Lili told Xiaoyu, although the others were listening as well.

Asuka stepped forward, crossing her arms while glancing at Lili. "And what exactly do you mean by a ride?" the Japanese girl questioned her sternly.

Lili motioned her head backwards, and the group could see a limousine arriving inside the garage. It was a black Cadillac XTS Limousine. The driver of that limo was none other than her trusty butler: Sebastian. As soon as he stopped, he quickly exited the vehicle and went over to his young mistress.

"Madame Lili! Thank goodness you are okay. Oh, how I have been so worried about you. Why in the world didn't you call me when you arrived here in Japan?" the old man asked the blondie-haired girl.

"Sebastian, how many times have I told you not to worry about me. I can take care of myself. Besides, we landed into a bit trouble on the trip to Japan" Lili informed him.

Sebastian's eyes widened behind his glasses. "Trouble? What trouble? Please tell me what happened on your journey, madame!" he was starting to get frantic in hearing what Lili said.

Stroking her long hair, Lili didn't think of it as a big deal, even laughing at Sebastian's reaction. "I can explain everything inside the limo. Now will you be so kind and drive me and my newfound friends to Kyoto? We have an important business to take care of" she then told him.

The other fighters raised eyebrows in what Lili said about them being her newfound friends. Some like Xiaoyu and Asuka were fuming with rage, feeling more than willing to punch the living hell out of the rich girl.

Seeing all these people made Sebastian surprised. "Oh goodness, you have made so many friends on this journey in so little time, madame" the butler remarked, earning him a dirty glance from almost every fighter in the group except Bob and Michelle. Standing by one of the backdoors of the limo, Sebastian opened and urged Lili and the others to enter. "Very well, you may all enter the limo and take whatever seat you wish. Any friend of Madame Lili is a friend of mine" he politely told them.

One by one, the fighters entered. However, Asuka and Xiaoyu were facing each other, both girls crossing their arms while resisting the urge to punch each other.

"I don't know what your plans are. But I sure as hell won't let you near Jin. Try it and I'll send you to the hospital" Xiaoyu warned her, not hiding her resentment towards the Kazama.

But Asuka was far from intimidated by what she heard the Chinese girl say. It only encouraged her to reveal her resentment towards Xiaoyu. "Clearly you're delusional. It's I who'll send you to the hospital once your ass is kicked to the curb!" the Japanese girl hit back.

They were on the verge of getting into a conflict, yet stopped thanks to the intervention of Sebastian. He made a coughing sound in order to gain their attention. "Excusez-moi, jeunes filles. But Madame Lili insists that we leave for Kyoto immediately. Shall we go?" the butler kindly asked them.

Once they heard him, Asuka and Xiaoyu took one last glance at each other before Asuka took the initiative and entered the limo. Xiaoyu did the same, not sitting near the Japanese girl. From now on, keeping them separated from each other was probably the most decision from now on.

Lili smiled once she was seeing that everyone was gathered. "Excellent. Everyone is present and accounted for" she said and faced Sebastian through the partition window. "Sebastian, we're ready. Pleine vitesse, s'il vous plait" she ordered him in French.

"Bien sûr madame. Attachez vos ceintures de sécurité" Sebastian replied, reminding everyone to fasten their seatbelts.

Soon, the Cadillac limo was out of the car garage and onto the streets of Tokyo. First, they were driving to Shibuya. With a car such as this, they would probably reach Kyoto in no time.

But unbeknownst to them and the rest of the fighters, the two teams that had not made it to the garage with the others had been observing their plans from the top of the garage itself. It was Team 6 consisting of Bryan Fury, Feng Wei and Armor King and Team 7 consisting of Claudio Serafino, Sergei Dragunov and Kunimitsu. They had formed a little union to ensure whatever goals they had would come to fruition. But why had they done it?

Claudio smiled as he faced the cityscape. "Well then, do we have a deal, gentiluomini and gentildonna ? You assist me in hunting down the persons of interest, I will assist you with whatever goals you have" the Italian exorcist questioned those standing beside him. Somehow, he had convinced Dragunov and Kunimitsu to go along with this proposal of his.

Bryan grunted in reply. "Whatever. As long as it kills some time and brings me satisfaction, I'm in" he said lowly.

"Remember our bargain, exorcista. I am not the kind of man to have his word broken. Doing so might lead to your death" Armor King warned Claudio.

"We will do our part, only if you do yours. Make that abundantly clear" Feng reminded the nearby trio.

Even Kunimitsu wanted to make sure that she was also being heard. "Don't forget about my goals. If I don't get that blade sooner, I'll compensate it with your corpses" the kunoichi was telling everyone what she would do, yet none of them seemed to be threatened at her gesture.

Dragunov had been staring out the distance of the cityscape. He had not uttered out a word, yet people could understand him based upon his motions. Turning his cold gaze upon Claudio, the Russian soldier nodded his head at him. Yes, the White Angel of Death himself was willing to work with Claudio in order to achieve his goal.

The exorcist felt confident in hearing each answer. "Bene. Then let the hunt begin. We will capture these individuals and use them as bait to lure out our prey…...Jin Kazama" Claudio said, thus activating the mysterious power that changed his left eye. "From now on, we shall be known as…L'ordine" he went on to declare what this group would be called. The name itself was Italian for The Order. But could this union between the most unlikely fighters last? That would be for each of its members to decide.

 _To be continued…_


	20. Judgement from Above

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Judgement from Above**

 _Inside the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

Heihachi was feeling incredibly overconfident in himself as he stood over what appeared to be a control panel in his office. Since he had encountered Revenant and learned about his purpose, the old man knew just what to do amidst this commotion. First, he had faked his own death, announcing it throughout the world. Therefore, the King of the Iron Fist Tournament 7 was off. Then, he had ordered his Tekken Force to eliminate the tournament's contestants staying in a nearby hotel. None of them had to know of his secret plan to eliminate his foes once and for all. He was determined to see it come to fruition.

Sitting by his desk, Heihachi watched as his subordinates began tapping on the control panel in order to get in coordinates of where Revenant was.

"We have received word from the investigation unit. As expected, the target is headed towards the G Corp's Millennium Tower" one of the soldiers at the control panel informed his superior while tapping on the screen below him. "In addition, the news of your death as CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu has spread throughout the globe and signaled the G Corp's victory" the soldier added, revealing more details that had occurred in wake of Heihachi's actions.

Heihachi smiled in what he was hearing. "Everything is going according to plan. Have you made the preparations?" he asked the soldiers before him.

"Yessir!" one of them quickly replied.

Kuma, who was standing at his master's side was listening to what was being said. He turned his attention to Heihachi. "(Master, how do you intend on proceeding with this master plan of yours?)" the bear asked him.

"It's very simple, Kuma. Against Revenant, Kazuya will have no choice but to use his Devil form. That's when we begin the first step of my plan" Heihachi answered him, to which Kuma nodded his head in reply.

"We are ready to broadcast to the world when you are, sir" a soldier revealed to his boss.

Heihachi leaned over to his desk, pondering on what to do next in order to fulfill his master plan. "Once we reveal the truth about Kazuya to the entire world, no one will trust the G Corporation anymore. And when Kazuya is dead and buried, public opinion will fall in our favor" the CEO of the Zaibatsu revealed.

"(I understand. That leads to the next and final step of your master plan)" Kuma remarked.

"Yes. The Mishima Zaibatsu's ultimate weapon: a satellite death ray, capable of reducing an entire skyscraper to dust" he revealed while tapping on some keypads, thus showing a screen of the satellite that was floating in space above Earth. "While Doctor Abel worked for me as a scientific advisor, I had him create this orbital laser satellite for me to use. He knew just the kind of weapon of mass destruction that could work in the Zaibatsu's favor" Heihachi added, observing the satellite with pride.

Tamaki adjusted her glasses while getting a closer look at what was in the screen. "Sir. Are you telling me that you alone have been aware of its existence? I mean, why didn't Jin Kazama use it when he controlled the Zaibatsu?" the secretary questioned her boss.

The old man simply huffed in return. "Heh! That brat could have gotten access to it, if only he knew the secret code to activate it as I do! Besides, the only individuals who know how to use it properly is me and Doctor Abel. But with him being dead, that only leaves me!" he replied, laughing deeply in thinking about the fact that Jin had many disadvantages when he leader of the Zaibatsu. His laughing quickly ended, and Heihachi returned his attention to the satellite on the screen. A slight power-hungry grin crept on his face. "That being said, the satellite death ray will bring me my victory. That is a foregone conclusion! Revenant and Kazuya, your lives are in my hands!" he said, once again letting out a deep laugh.

At this rate, Heihachi didn't even regret his orders in eliminating the contestants of the tournament. He was more focused on achieving his victory, and he could smell it coming towards him. Kuma and his other associates couldn't help but to wonder whether Heihachi was slowly beginning to descend himself into insanity, or that he was just stressed out and desperate to prevail over Kazuya. Either way, the old man was confident that he would achieve his long-life dream of dominating the world under the Mishima clan's banner.

* * *

 _Inside the Millennium Tower, Tokyo, Japan_

In his office, Kazuya Mishima was watching a giant screen that was showing him a debate between certain news anchors. It was all about the Zaibatsu's shock announcement that had begun affecting the entire world. When news broke out that Heihachi had died, he didn't believe in what the media said. No, he knew that his father was still alive from the explosion, and would never believe in any of his deceit. That was only a blow to his dignity as a fighter….and avenger.

"Fools. They fall easily for every trick that bastard Heihachi pulls beneath their noses. News anchors are indeed incompetent" Kazuya noted, his disapproving eyes never leaving sight of the screen, or more specifically the news anchors.

But it didn't take long before he was getting tired of hearing the debate, so he got off his chair and walked over to what appeared to be a capsule at one of his office's corners. Why was he going there? While pacing, Kazuya couldn't help but to think about his despised father.

"I don't care about what kind of shenanigans you are up to. Once I've eliminated Revenant, you are next on my list. I will send him his head to you as a signal of my coming" Kazuya noted, his mouth turning into an evil smirk. "And after you're gone, my dreams of achieving global domination will become a reality" he added, craving the same dream that his father does.

Indeed, despite the two Mishimas hating one another with passion, they had so much in common than what each of them cared to admit. But was Kazuya worse than Heihachi? This was something that had been debated over the last few years about the Mishima clan and its infamous members. Regardless of who was worse, both father and son had ambitious goals when it came to world domination.

Kazuya approached the capsule before him and he pushed a button that opened it. Once opened, something emerged out of the capsule. The Japanese man smirked in seeing what appeared to be a dinosaur with blue boxing gloves standing still while facing his surroundings. Who was he? Judging by his size and sharp teeth, he was a dromaeosaurid, the family of dinosaurs in which raptors are part of. But something else with him was different, especially given that he had longer front limbs.

"Welcome back, Alex" Kazuya told the dinosaur, recalling how he had once been in possession of it during his leadership of the Mishima Zaibatsu. "It has been a long time since I saw you. While I had at first deemed you a failure and sought to kill you, I have recently taken notice of how your intelligence as evolved since you fled from me. When you managed to singlehandedly defeat some of my soldiers stationed in Indonesia, I knew that you were not the same as you once were" he added, telling Alex in how he had been brought back to Kazuya.

Alex was created as a clone of Roger, the boxing kangaroo that was also once in Kazuya's possession. They were created via a military research, in which Doctor Bosconovitch had been involved in. Alex's genes were mixed with that of a dinosaur, a lizard and a kangaroo. But sometime during Kazuya's rule of the Zaibatsu, both Alex and Roger escaped from captivity, each seeking refuge in the world. There were also rumors that suggested they had been kidnapped by Bosconovitch's rival, Doctor Abel. Either way, these two genetically engineered animals managed to flee captivity and stayed hidden from prying eyes for many years.

Alex, suddenly looked at Kazuya, the Japanese man musing to himself. "Now then, I take it that your intelligence has matured so quickly that you can actually understand what I am saying. Whom do you serve, Alex?" he told the dinosaur.

It took 10 seconds, but Alex slowly lowered his head in front of Kazuya. It was apparent that he understood human language, similar to Kuma and Panda. His motions indicated that he bowed to Kazuya in respect. That was something which made Kazuya chuckle evilly.

"Excellent. You haven't forgotten where your loyalties lie. All the more reason for why I will make you one of my bodyguards. And of course, Bruce, Anna and my other associates will come to see you as a valuable ally to our cause" he expressed his satisfaction of adding Alex to his inner circle within the G Corp's leadership.

Before he could decide what to do with Alex, Kazuya was interrupted by the alarm sounding off. He smirked, given that he knew the reason why. The screen in hi office began blinking red and soon, he could hear the voice belonging to some of his subordinates.

" _Sir! The target has arrived! He is entering the Millennium Tower's lobby as we speak!_ " the voice could be heard in his office.

The smirk that crept on Kazuya's face never vanished, knowing what he would do next. Revenant was near. "Perfect. I was wondering when he would show up" he said, before facing Alex. "Alex, you and the other associates will be stationed near the tower. I have an important guest to host" he told, to which Alex immediately responded by exiting his office.

* * *

 _Outside G Corporation HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

Dawn had arrived in Japan, but for Revenant, it signaled more than the beginning of a new day. Right now, he stood at the foot of the Millennium Tower, headquarters of the G Corporation. It was here he would find Kazuya Mishima, his next target….and victim. His glowing purple eyes looked upwards to the peak of the building. With his dark aura surrounding him, Revenant was confident in getting to challenge the man he had wanted to fight for so long. Without wasting time, he approached the building' entrance.

"At last, I get to finally meet the cursed man himself. Hopefully, you will prove more of a challenge than your boastful father, Kazuya Mishima" the masked man noted, not hiding the excitement to fight Kazuya.

Shattering the glass doors, Revenant entered the lobby, only to be greeted by a horde of G Corp troops blocking his way. They all had their weapons aimed at him. The masked man stood still, not doing anything in face of this situation. However, two figures appeared out of the crowd in order to face Revenant. It was Bruce Irvin and Anna Williams, two important associates of Kazuya himself. Revenant was getting slightly amused.

"How charming. To be greeted personally by his servants. I am honored to say at least" Revenant remarked, although he was doing it sarcastically.

Neither Anna nor Bruce took an issue with what he said, yet they were just as curious to know who that man was. He had not been seen before and he was dressed in such dirty clothes, which was what Anna was taking issues with.

"You gotta be kidding me. This filthy scoundrel managed to defeat Heihachi Mishima? Clearly that old man must've gotten weaker over the years" Anna was in slight disbelief.

Bruce grunted in reply. "As if that's something to be concerned about. He was a pathetic fighter, anyways" he said while cracking his knuckles. "Now then, let us crack that mask. I wonder what lies behind it and feel anxious to find out" he added, feeling very tempted to attack this mysterious man.

But before anything could happen in the lobby, a loudspeaker was activated. The voice that spoke up belonged to none other than Kazuya himself. Once hearing it, all soldiers lowered their weapons.

" _Don't even bother. None of you are capable of taking his life. Didn't I tell you about my wish to host him personally? Show him the way to the helipad. I'll be waiting for him up there. And don't even think about interfering in our fight. He is mine_ " that was what came out of Kazuya's announcement.

Most of the soldiers were confused, yet they did as their CEO requested. Bruce growled in reluctance, yet he respected Kazuya's wishes. "You heard the boss, soldiers! Lower you weapons!" he commanded them before returning his gaze upon Revenant. "And lead that smug bastard to the elevator. He got lucky this time!" Bruce added, so wanting to punch the masked man.

Revenant couldn't help but to feel amused at Kazuya's hospitality. Not wanting to keep his opponent waiting, he proceeded towards the elevator while the soldiers stood sideways.

"How generous this is. Do not worry, I will not be staying here for long. I will return with your leader's corpse once this is over. Until we meet again, Mishima-pets" Revenant told Bruce and Anna as he passed by them.

Anna and Bruce both glared daggers at the masked man, each of them feeling more than willing to kill that man without remorse. Still, they held their rage. Once Revenant disappeared into the elevator, Anna faced her partner with a cunning smile.

"Well then, better do as Kazuya wanted us to do: step outside and watch the show happen. Come on, it will be fun. We might as well bring some popcorn and champagne with us" Anna revealed, even taking joy of the upcoming fight. It was almost as if she was going to a cinema.

Bruce rolled his eyes at Anna's statement. "Do you ever grow up? Your attitude gives me a no as the answer" he told her, yet Anna seemed to ignore his words. "Tch…..broad" Bruce muttered in irritation.

They along with the soldiers of the G Corp exited the HQ, heading towards one of the nearby buildings that looked like a tall rubbish bin. They would go there and see the battle commence on the helipad. As they were about to enter, Bruce couldn't help but to as his comrade about something important.

"Hey Anna. Have you contacted Chloe and her partners?" Bruce asked, yet Anna shook her head dismissively.

"Why in the world would I do that? After all, Kazuya did inform them to directly head back to us when something happened. Have you gotten any word from them?" the brunette then asked him.

Bruce shrugged his shoulders. "Nope. But I agree with you. We've got better things to do than worry about them. That foolish otaku can manage herself fine with JACK-7 and Gigas tagging alongside her" he pointed out, much to the amusement of Anna.

"Well said, Bruce. I couldn't agree more" she replied, the two entering the nearby skyscraper in order to watch the show taking place on the Millennium Tower.

On the tower's helipad, Kazuya was waiting for his opponent dressed in his karate gi pants, red gloves and red footguards. This was the outfit he had been known to wear during his participation in the King of Iron Fist Torunaments. But this time, he was wearing it to defeat and kill an opponent he had wished to meet.  
As soon as the elevator opened, Revenant exited it. He soon passed through the window and saw Kazuya standing close to the fence at the edge. So far, the red-eyed man was not intimidated by the dark aura that could be felt around Revenant. The only thing that made noise was the wind above them.

"Quite an unusual place you have chosen to die at, Kazuya Mishima. Had I known that we would fight here, I would have simply flown to this place in order to meet you" the masked man informed his opponent, taking steps so that he was standing face to face with Kazuya.

Kazuya huffed in return. "No. I have simply chosen your burial ground. After this fight, your corpse will be hanged here to make an example to everyone who dares opposing me" the Japanese man informed Revenant, yet he felt more than anxious to know more about this individual. As they were standing opposite from one another, Kazuya felt the time was right. "But before I kill you, tell me how you know my mother. Who exactly are you? Are you a relic of the Hachijo clan?" he asked him warily.

Revenant stood still, his purple eyes glowing through his mask. It didn't take long for him to respond. "Me, a relic of the Hachijo clan? Ridiculous" he replied, his dark energy beginning to form on his metallic hands. "That clan died out decades ago, as did your maternal relatives. But the Acolytes of Pluton are eternal, unlike them. We are no relics of the past" he then added.

While seeing the power stemming from Revenant, Kazuya didn't fear him. Still, he was agitated in hearing the answer he had been given. "Don't play dumb with me, scoundrel. I overheard your conversation with that old fool Heihachi. You said something about the Hachijo clan, as well as my mother!" he sneered, feeling the urge to rip off his limbs.

"You don't say. If so then you already know the answer to that, demon. What I said at the Mishima Dojo was indeed true. You possess knowledge about your father's background. Haven't you ever wondered about your mother's? Do you still think she and her clan were all just innocent pacifists? Deluded fool" Revenant rebuked his opponent, who was letting anger take hold on him. Still, it only encouraged Revenant to tell him more. "Honestly, considering that you know who they were, you should have realized that the Hachijos were more than just humble nobles. They were assassins, the greatest to exist in Japan. That was apparent, given how their form of Karate were evenly matched with the one from the Mishimas" the masked man continued to add details of what he knew.

Kazuya couldn't stand hearing what Revenant uttered out. "Enough of these words…" the Japanese man growled. "Stop saying bullshit to my face! I was asking for the truth!" he then snapped.

Revenant mused to himself in seeing Kazuya's denial affecting his temper. "It is the truth, simple as that. You constantly keep thinking that the Mishima-bloodline is cursed and it began with your dearest grandfather, Jinpachi Mishima. But that is all a lie. He never had the Devil Gene inside him, as did your oafish father" Revenant told him, yet he now felt the need to ask Kazuya about his family. "Let me just ask you something, Kazuya Mishima. When you were just a little boy, did you ever wonder about the reason why you survived falling into the volcano? About why the Devil was inside you? About why your mother hid her tears from you? About why your father was never cursed? About why he murdered…" he tried to psychologically torture Kazuya, only for the Japanese man to interrupt him.

"ENOUGH!" rage began taking control over Kazuya and it even sent a shockwave in the helipad. Still, Revenant remained unmoved, standing as if nothing was bothering him. Kazuya felt weary about wasting words with such talk. "I grow tired of this senseless prattling. It only gives me a headache! Killing you will shut you up for good. That will bring me satisfaction" he then said, smirking as he felt more than willing to kill Revenant.

The masked man only called the dark powers to his side once again. "Very well. Then it's time that I finish what your mother could not: eliminating your wretched life once and for all. This world has had enough of Mishima drama. I, Revenant, challenge you!" Revenant replied, daring Kazuya to come at him.

Kazuya cracked his gloved knuckles. "Then let's see what you're made of" he said and stood in his fighting stance. Now that they were prepared to engage, Kazuya decided to taunt his opponent. "Such strength you have…too bad that it pales before my own!" he then taunted Revenant.

In rage, each opponent charged towards one another, preparing for a clash on the helipad. Without delay, they hit each other in the face, thus sending them backwards. Even so, the fight had barley begun.

Revenant got back to his senses and noticed Kazuya heading towards him with a flying kick. Still, Revenant caught wind of what his opponent was planning and quickly managed to grab hold of Kazuya's right foot. He proceeded to throw Kazuya towards the wall of glass behind him. But Kazuya managed to land on his feet before he hit the glass.

"Tch, is that the best you got?! I laugh at your weakness!" Kazuya asked, only to see Revenant flying towards him with such an incredible speed. However, Kazuya responded by using Dorya, thus sending Revenant into the air. He proceeded to kick him. "You are nothing but a walking piece of trash!" he then insulted his opponent.

Revenant got up in his feet. "Speak for yourself, spawn of the Devil!" he retorted back and as Kazuya was about to deliver his opponent a punch, he ducked and proceeded to punch Kazuya in the stomach before delivering a powerful kick which sent him flying. But it didn't stop there, as Revenant used his powers to teleport himself to the spot Kazuya was heading towards. Charging himself, he was prepared to assault his opponent. "Now I will show you how pointless it is to battle me! Feel my wrath!" the masked man yelled and he delivered a dark orb which sent Kazuya crashing to the nearest wall of glass.

The glass was shattered as a result, and Kazuya was caught in its mess. But he got up and gritted his teeth in frustration. "Damn scum…..." he cursed and looked up to see Revenant floating above the helipad laughing at him.

"You are no match for me! I am Revenant, messenger of the Gods of Old! My victory will not be denied by the likes of you!" he declared and proceeded to attack Kazuya from above.

But Kazuya was not going to back down and proceeded to deliver his Dorya attack once again. It was a clash, which sent each of the fighters away from one another. Revenant landed on the floor, yet quickly got up on his feet. As a matter of fact, he felt the need to insult his opponent more.

"Your skills are impressive. But it will not be enough to save you. Why hold back your true power!?" Revenant then questioned him.

Kazuya grew agitated of being toyed by Revenant. Therefore, he decided to take things to the next level. From what he heard, that mysterious man seemed to have some form of knowledge about his true powers. Therefore, Kazuya would give what he wished.

Wiping off blood on his lips, Kazuya slowly got up to his feet. "You bastard…...you will not live to see the end of this day!" he yelled and started gathering his inner powers. In a quick snap, his form changed. And it was that of a dark purple-skinned demon. This could only mean one thing: Kazuya was now in his Devil form. He flew up above the ground and glanced down at his opponent with vicious scowl. "You will regret this, cultist! Regret in bringing out your own demise!" Kazuya spoke down to Revenant.

Revenant simply crossed his arms while staring at his transformed opponent with fascination. In fact, he began levitating above the ground, so that he stood face to face with Kazuya. "I see. So, this is your true power? The one that I have desperately wanted to see for myself. It's about time you showed it to me. Quite fascinating, I must say" the masked man remarked, gathering his dark energies once again. "In fact, it only fills me with so much excitement to battle you! Show me your worst, Kazuya Mishima! Prove to me that you are a far worthier adversary than that pathetic father of yours!" he now felt so much tempted to fight Kazuya now that he was in his Devil form.

Kazuya simply smirked evilly in return. "You consider me a worthy opponent? I am honored" he noted, yet Kazuya quickly used his wings to charge towards Revenant, thus engaging a clash with him. Shockwaves were being sent above the helipad. "Even so, I will obliterate your body and reduce it to ashes! Few people get to receive that fate from me in this form. Consider that a blessing for your funereal!" he told his opponent.

"Bold words! But that hubris of yours will perish in time along with your very existence!" Revenant hit back, their clash continuing so high above the helipad, yet they still used it as their battleground.

"You will yield before me or die in vain!" Kazuya said, shooting beam out of the dot on his forehead. Now, the true battle between these two evil men had begun and there could only be one victor.

This time, it was Kazuya that seemed to have the upper hand. He managed to dodge some of Revenant's attacks by avoiding it with his speed. Still, the cultist was able to match up to the devil's strength. In other words, this was a clash between two dark titans.

But unbeknownst to Kazuya, his enemies in the Zaibatsu had already taken advantage of the fight and begun broadcasting it. It quickly spread throughout social media like an epidemy. This was the work of a scheming enemy, one that desired nothing but to see Kazuya defeated.

* * *

 _Not far from the Millennium Tower's location_

Rodeo was in the corner of a street communicating with his superiors back in the US. He had started to puzzle together the picture of the scenario that was to come. But first, he needed some confirmation about whether it was true or not. The American soldier leaned against the wall and made sure that nobody was listening to him.

"So, the rumors are true? Revenant is at the Millennium Tower!?" Rodeo questioned his superior, feeling very anxious as he spoke.

" _Correct. Our sources in Kawasaki informed us about a mysterious individual wearing a gas mask wandering the streets. He must have gotten there faster while you were busy fleeing Heihachi's schemes_ " the general informed Rodeo, being clear on the facts he needed to hear.

In anger and frustration, Rodeo punched a nearby wall. "Damnit! He had to waltz straight into Kazuya Mishima's hands! It will be hard for me to take him now that he's fighting that demonic bastard!" the soldier exclaimed, yet he soon calmed himself as he spoke to his superior. "But then again, Revenant and Kazuya must be completely ignorant of what Heihachi has in store for them. He is scheming something" Rodeo added while adding some details.

" _Rodeo! Find a nearby television screen at once! Breaking news just popped up!_ " the general suddenly commanded him.

Without hesitating, the soldier ran towards a nearby television store around the corner and watched the many screens. He was stunned to what he saw on them. It was what appeared to be a spokesperson for the Mishima Zaibatsu. But what was more shocking was the title on the screen.

BREAKING NEWS: REPORTS OF HEIHACHI MISHIMA DEAD A HOAX! THE G CORP ALLEGED CULPRITS!

" _Greetings, citizens of the world. We understand that a recent announcement has sent this world into uproar. That is why we of the Mishima Zaibatsu are here to verify that the reports about Heihachi Mishima being dead were all false. Our leader is still alive and breathing. But we regret to inform you that our database was recently hacked by the G Corporation. As such, we have suffered a cyberattack from them, which also resulted in the tournament being called off. But our database is slowly begging to recover and we are taking extreme measures to protect it. All that we can say is that our foes were trying to distort you with this false deceleration about our leader being dead. Therefore, we implore you to proceed as if everything is normal and pretend these little mishaps didn't occur. Heihachi Mishima himself will announce his next move since recovering from these defamations. Until then, a fond a farewell_ "

That was the news which stunned Rodeo. Now, Heihachi was beginning to reveal his cards. But while he had been focused about observing it, a group of fighters had appeared behind him. Eddy, Katarina, Christie, Leo, Zafina, Shaheen, Paul and Marshall all had gotten the news and it stunned them.

"What the hell? First, he fakes his death, then he tries to kill us, and now Heihachi accuses the G Corp all of a sudden?" Eddy wondered in frustration. "Filho da puta! He sure has some nerves pulling this in front of the entire world" the man with dreadlocks cursed in Portuguese.

"Yeah, but why would he do that? Isn't this another one of his cries for attention or somethin'? I swear, that old geezer keeps getting weirder and weirder" Paul wondered, not sure of what to make of this.

Shaheen narrowed his eyes at the screens. "I believe he must have some motives for doing all this in secrecy. He plans on doing something with his son, Kazuya" he told him before glancing over to Rodeo. "Clearly you have figured it out, have you, Bo Montana?" he then asked the soldier.

Rodeo looked over his shoulder to face Shaheen warily. "Heh, you're one, smart bastard. I'll give you points for that" he replied before turning around to face the group before him. "But enough of my business. Why are you guys following me?" he demanded some answers from them.

"There is no use in feigning ignorance. Even now, some of us can tell that your motives for entering this tournament is more than just to apprehend the Mishimas" Zafina sternly pointed out to him.

Hearing this made Marshall feel confused. He didn't understand what Zafina was trying to say. "Huh? We did?" he was stopped when Paul nudged him, thus forcing him to stop saying more words.

Rodeo sighed in annoyance. "What a giant in my ass…." he groaned, yet realized that there was no need to hide from these people. "Fine! You caught me. But while I'm still after those two, there is a third player in this game. He's the one I'm really looking for. The cultist who goes by the name Revenant" the soldier revealed his goals.

While most of the fighters were dumbstruck at what he was saying, Zafina and Shaheen's eyes widened in shock. From what Rodeo could tell, they seemed to at least possess some knowledge about that individual, or perhaps the people he represented.

"When you say cultist, you wouldn't happen to be talking about the Acolytes of Pluton, would you?" Shaheen asked him, to which Rodeo nodded. The Saudi Arabian man couldn't believe his own ears. "By Allah…...I thought they were nothing but mere rumors. They do exist in the shadows" he added, telling Rodeo what he knew.

"Yeah, and right now, the man who leads them is here in Tokyo battling Kazuya Mishima" Rodeo informed Shaheen and the others.

But as the American soldier was trying to tell the group before him, the televisions in the shop caught everyone's attention once again. This time, it showed them all a picture about Kazuya, in his Devil form. Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.

" _We have currently received this shocking announcement! It appears that the man who currently leads the G Corporation is none other than Kazuya Mishima, Heihachi's son. This man, who currently has an arrest warrant hanging over him by the ICC, has been spotted fighting at the G Corp's Millennium Tower in this demonic form. The true face of the conglomerate has now been revealed! What will be the next phase of this chaotic war?"_

Leo couldn't believe in what she was seeing. "It's official…...finally.…now the entire world knows about the G Corp and it's nefarious leader! They are no longer the heroes in this war!" the German girl expressed her relief, although she was not entirely happy over this situation.

"But who in the world is broadcasting this fight?" Christie wondered aloud.

"The answer is apparent. It must be Heihachi Mishima's doing" Zafina spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "Indeed. He has now begun playing with his cards. His supposed "death", calling off the tournament, and now broadcasting this fight for everyone to see. These are all a part of Heihachi's plans to achieve victory over Kazuya" the Egyptian woman concluded.

Some of the other fighters were confused. "Victory. But how? Something doesn't make any sense" Marshall uttered out, still feeling unsure about all this.

"Whatever it is, people across the globe will now see the real Kazuya Mishima. As such, people will now disown the G Corp as this war's supposed heroes" Eddy joined in on the conversation before returning his glare on the screen featuring the devilish Kazuya. "That being said, the fight is currently taking place at the Millennium Tower right now" he then pointed out, looking at the direction the G Corp's HQ was located.

Christie looked at her longtime friend. "Then you suppose we should head over there?" she asked him, yet she could also see Katarina glancing at him with a confidential smile.

"Certamente! I don't care about what that bastardo Kazuya is doing! I'm not leaving this country until I get my pai back!" Katarina spoke with a determination building inside of her.

Rodeo walked past the group, looking over his left shoulder to face them. "Listen, guys! If you wanna tag along with me to the Millennium Tower, then that's fine! But just don't get in my way of capturing Revenant. I've got a bone to pick with him. You're free to do whatever the hell you want" the soldier strictly told them and proceeded to run down the street.

Shaheen smirked. "Now that is very thoughtful of you, Mr. Montana. You are not like most American soldiers" he admitted, starting to follow Rodeo.

Zafina rolled her eyes in seeing this. "Sometimes, your humor eludes me, Shaheen" she muttered, yet she decided to catch up with Shaheen.

Leo clenched her gloved hands. "This is it! I better go and see that monster Kazuya for myself! I will make him pay for what he did to you…mother!" the German girl thought, remembering how much she despised the man who murdered her mother in cold blood. She then decided to run after the trio.

Knowing better than to stand around doing nothing, Eddy, Katarina, Christie, Paul and Marshall ran after the group, each of them more than willing to see where this would take them. They would likely be able to see Kazuya in his Devil form up close, assuming that he remained alive.

"This may be my chance to avenge my parents…...Kazuya, you bastard…." Eddy thought, recalling back to how he had been the one responsible for the murder of his parents. And worse, Kazuya had framed Eddy as the culprit. Such memory was hard for Eddy to let go of. "But as much as it tempts me to avenge them…I'll never forget the wisdom you shared with me…...master. Yes, Kazuya must be stopped for the sake of justice…not vengeance" the man with dreadlocks still remembered his deceased master, as well as what he had learned from him.

* * *

 _Outside the Millennium Tower, to the street level_

For some reason, Bruce and Anna had taken some soldiers with them back to street level. Alex had decided to accompany them, yet he had problems understanding the situation he and his superiors were in. The trio were facing the imposing HQ of the G Corp. Something had forced them to stop their observation of the duel between Kazuya and Revenant. Anna was holding onto a tablet computer and she kept tapping on it.

"Tell me this isn't true! What the hell's going on!?" Bruce angrily snapped as he looked at Anna.

"Someone is broadcasting the fight! And it has already been viewed more than a million times on the Internet! Even the international media has gotten hold of it by now!" Anna panicked as she searched for an answer on the tablet computer.

"Damnit! Who's doing all this shit!?" the kickboxer demanded and looked to his subordinates. "Soldiers! I want you to find where those hidden cameras are and dispose of them quickly! Don't come back here until I see pieces of them at this spot!" Bruce then commanded them.

The soldiers quickly saluted before him in return. "YESSIR!" they said and began spreading across the street to find the ones broadcasting the fight. Alex only stood in silence, wondering about what he should do in this mess in order to help his masters. But then again, he stayed with Bruce and Anna.

"There's no question in my mind that this is the Zaibatsu's doing. But how? I thought that old geezer had died!" Anna felt stressed, while trying to figure out a way to defuse the situation.

"HE'S NOT DEAD!" Anna, Alex and Bruce looked up to see Lucky Chloe, JACK-7 and Gigas approaching them. Chloe was panting, as it would seem that she had been running like crazy to reach her superiors. That wasn't the case with her cohorts. "Heihachi Mishima….is…...not…...dead!" the cosplayer said between while panting between her words.

"Tch, about time you three showed up! What took you so long?" Bruce wanted some answers out of them.

"And what's all this about Heihachi not being dead? Care to explain in a calmer manner, Lucky Chloe?" Anna quizzed her while putting her hands on her hips.

Chloe was fuming with anger in hearing this. "Screw you! We narrowly avoided getting killed and the first thing you do when we're here is to criticize us!? Ungrateful buttholes!" the blonde-haired teenager surprisingly cursed at them.

Before Anna and Bruce could resort to attack her, JACK-7 intervened between them. Apparently, he seemed more than willing to inform them about what they had learned, especially since it was JACK-7 who had hacked into the Zaibatsu's database.

"Where is the boss? Is he at HQ? If correct, then he must leave the Millennium Tower this instant. He is in grave danger" JACK-7 revealed to Kazuya most important associates. "I managed to hack into the Zaibatsu's database and discovered their ploy. The announcement of the death of Heihachi Mishima is just a hoax" the robot then began revealing the details.

Bruce and Anna couldn't believe in what they were hearing. Even Alex could also hear, given that he understood human language. "Hold up! So he's practically been fooling the entire world?" Anna asked, only for Chloe to interject.

"Of course, he has, you dumb narcissist! He did it so he could focus on eliminating the boss and some guy named Revenant!" Chloe snapped.

"You mean that guy dressed like some scavenger? But he and Kazuya are currently fighting on the helipad" Bruce informed and looked up to see the ongoing clash. "But for some reason, the fight's being broadcasted" he added with irritation.

"That's the first phase of Heihachi's plan! To broadcast the fight and show the entire world who Kazuya truly is!" Chloe pointed out, her attention focused on the ongoing fight. Despite the fight taking place so high, the otaku could still see Kazuya in his Devil form. It made her feel uneasy. "I'd never expected the boss to look like that! Just what IS he, really!?" she wondered, feeling disgust in seeing Kazuya in that form.

"Then my assumptions were correct. The Zaibatsu is behind all this! But what do they hope to achieve by doing these things?" Anna wondered as she looked up.

Chloe stood before her superiors and waved her paw-like gloves endlessly. "Hello! This isn't the time to stand and dwell on this bullcrap! We gotta get the boss out of HQ before Heihachi uses his…." Chloe was trying to tell her superiors what they had to do, only for Bruce to step before her and grab what appeared to be a dagger thrown at them. This made the teenager snap in fear. "GYAHHHH! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!?" she shrieked in fear.

Bruce and Anna stepped forward to see who it was. They were joined by Alex, Gigas and JACK-7. It was a group of fighters who were confronting them on the street. They were Rodeo, Zafina, Shaheen, Eddy, Katarina, Christie, Leo, Paul and Marshall. Judging by her movements, it would appear that Zafina had been the one to throw the dagger at Bruce and his cohorts. The Egyptian woman even smirked in what she saw.

"Magnificent reflexes you have, Bruce Irvin. You live up to your reputation as one of the G Corporations best soldiers" Zafina commended him.

Bruce threw the dagger away and glared at the group before him. "Who the hell are you!? And what's the big idea throwing a dagger towards us!?" he angrily demanded an answer out of them. But the kickboxer soon recognized some of these people. "Wait a minute…you're that Capoeira-fighter who was Jin Kazama's servant!" he spoke while pointing a finger at Eddy.

Eddy's eyes narrowed at Bruce in return. "Well, that's rich, coming from Kazuya's rabid dog" he hit back, earning him a sneering from Bruce.

Anna fixed her eyes upon some of these people. "My, my, so many familiar faces to see here. But there are also some whom remains new, even to me" the Irishwoman said, facing Katarina. "Which reminds me, I see that you took our message for granted and showed up for the tournament. So nice of you to come here, Katarina Alves" she told her.

When Katarina heard that, her rage was showcased. "Back off, cadela! I didn't come here for tea and cookies! I came here to kick your asses and bring back my father! Where is he!?" the Brazilian woman demanded, feeling more than willing to attack Anna. But Christie managed to hold her back safely.

Meanwhile, Rodeo, Shaheen and the others managed to look up to the G Corporation and spotted Kazuya fighting Revenant. They were stunned to see the form Kazuya was currently in.

Rodeo's eyes narrowed in seeing Revenant so high in the air. "I finally found you, piece of shit!" he cursed, still recalling the day he lost his squadron. Thinking about that only made him angrier. "Screw that Mishima-bastard! Come down here and fight me, instead!" the American soldier was in an emotional struggle. He didn't want his hatred to consume him. Remembering what King and Wang Jinrei had told him, Rodeo suppressed his rage.

But he was not the only one to struggle with that. Christie could see the resentment that existed in Eddy, and it worried her. "Eddy….." the young girl held him by his right hand. This made Eddy look at Christie. The expression on his face changed, most likely due to Christie's pleading voice. "Please…..don't let rage consume you…" Christie pleaded.

"That form…...I knew Kazuya Mishima was a demon!" Shaheen said through gritted teeth.

"I've always known him to be a devilish bastard" Paul spoke up, yet he couldn't help but to grin in what he saw. He even cracked his gloved knuckles. "I'm all fired up! Let's go get Kazuya!" he encouraged his friends.

Marshall glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. "Eh…Kazuya is currently busy fighting someone, Paul. He won't even recognize your appearance" he informed his best friend. "That being said, Kazuya must be much stronger when he is in that form of his. I can even feel it in my gut" he then remarked as he observed the fight.

"Yes. And now, the entire world will that as well" Leo joined in on the observation. But she quickly directed her attention to the group of G Corp loyalists. "All of you will pay for helping Kazuya seize control of the conglomerate! I will make sure of that!" she spat at them.

But they weren't intimidated by Leo's threats, even Lucky Chloe. "Look here, guys! It's a girl that dresses like a boy! Heck, even her face looks less feminine!" the cosplayer began insulting Leo, who became enraged.

"Halt de Klappe!" the German girl told Chloe, yet she saw this as a way to get under her skin. However, Bruce interrupted her shenanigans and stood before his cohorts.

"Enough of this meaningless bullshit! Unless you guys have a deathwish, I suggest you turn around and walk away!" Bruce warned them and began whistling in order to call upon some soldiers. The soldiers were many, and they began aiming their weapons at the group of fighters. "So, I'm not gonna say this twice. Piss off or die!" he then gave the group an ultimatum.

Anna smirked in what she was seeing. "If I were any of you, I would've listened to Bruce. Clearly you wouldn't be so foolish as to throw away your lives, would you?" Anna told them.

Despite the fact they were surrounded, none of the fighters showed fear in face of this danger. It only encouraged them to fight. Rodeo, having come so far to find Revenant, refused to back down.

"After what we're seeing here, you expect us to simply walk away!? Over my dead body!" the soldier barked and stretched out his muscular arms. He was prepared for combat. "I'm gonna catch Revenant, one way or another! But if you intend to stand in my way, then I might as well beat you up to bloody pulps!" he added, not regretting the tone of his voice.

Getting tired of wasting words, Bruce gave his soldiers the order. "KILL THEM ALL!" he commanded and the soldiers began firing their weapons.

But as they fired, each of the fighters went into different directions in engaging with these soldiers. One by one, they fell before the fighters, as they were adoptable. The soldiers lacked skills in combat, something Bruce and his cohorts seemed to take notice of. Once the soldiers were beaten, the group of fighters turned their attention towards the G Corp group.

Rodeo spat on the asphalt. "Were those the best soldiers you could muster? Tch, with you as their drill inspector, it's not surprising they fell before us that easily!" he taunted Bruce, mocking his dignity as a commander.

In response, Bruce cracked his knuckles, feeling more than willing to punch the soldier till he was unconscious. "Heh, those were easy! It's us you gotta worry about!" the kickboxer hit back. He then looked over his shoulder to face his comrades. "Anna, Chloe, Alex, Gigas and JACK-7. How about we show these cocky bastards in how we deal with our enemies?" he told them.

Anna stepped forward and stood beside her compatriot. "Finally! I was wondering when we would get to fight" she said with excitement in her voice.

Chloe, Alex, Gigas and JACK-7 also stood at their side, and it didn't take long before they started charging towards the group of fighters. The clash between them resulted in the fighters splitting up to various locations. Bruce was getting the honor of fighting Rodeo and Shaheen and he couldn't help but to smirk in amusement.

"So I get to fight fellow soldiers? Must be my lucky day" Bruce remarked.

Neither Rodeo nor Shaheen took kindly to that statement. "You, a soldier? Nonsense! You are nothing but a dishonest mercenary working for the Devil himself!" the Saudi Arabian man retorted, not hiding his distaste for Bruce and his current occupation.

Despite hearing this, Bruce only shrugged his shoulders. "Up yours, asswipe. My kicks will knock off that shemagh of yours before you even know it!" he responded.

Instead of heeding into Bruce's insults, Shaheen turned his attention to Rodeo. "Are you with me?" he asked Rodeo, who simply nodded his head weakly.

"To the death…...if needed" Rodeo responded, causing Shaheen to laugh slightly.

Together, the two soldiers launched their assault upon Bruce, who was itching for a fight against worthy opponents.

Lucky Chloe was up against Eddy and Christie, the two Capoeira fighters observing the otaku's dance moves. While Christie was amused, Eddy only watched this with a raised eyebrow.

"Seriously? Kazuya employed HER to be his poster girl?" Eddy questioned Christie, not believing in what he was seeing. "I mean, she's nothing but a lame cosplayer" the man with dreadlocks added.

Chloe couldn't stand hearing such insults. "Hey! I'm more than just a cosplayer! I'm the current idol to millions throughout the world!" the teenage girl snapped.

Eddy didn't pay attention to her outrage and began demonstrating his moves. "Tch, the only talents you have is boring the living hell out of people! And now that your boss' identity has been exposed, you'll be unemployed soon" he taunted her. Eddy then looked over to his friend. "Are you ready this time, Christie?" he asked her.

For some reason, Christie felt something hit inside her. It had been a long time since she had fought side by side with Eddy. The last time they did that was back in Brazil. That is why she felt this was indeed a special moment for her, to be fighting beside Eddy.

"I'm always ready, Eddy. Just watch and learn!" Christie informed him, soon turning her attention to Chloe while showcasing her Capoeira-moves. "Come on then, Mrs. Otaku. Let's see if your love for J-pop has enough beat to defeat us!" she began taunting the teenage girl.

"That's it, you Samba-loving moron! I'll kick your ass!" Chloe yelled and charged straight towards Eddy and Christie. She just couldn't stand when somebody insulted her love for J-pop.

The two Brazilians were also determined to fight her. "Don't expect us to go easy on you!" Eddy hit back, soon attacking the cosplayer.

Anna was now up against Zafina, the Egyptian woman blocking any kunai Anna threw at her with two daggers. Both women were known to be flexible, and it only made the competition much serious. Still, Anna was having pleasure in this fight.

"Come on! How long do you intend on avoiding my kunai? At least be a little more daring" Anna encouraged her opponent.

But Zafina was not giving in to her commands. "I have not come here for pleasantries, assassin. People like you and your superior must be stopped for the sake of this world" the young woman replied, only to dodge an attack coming from Anna. She was trying to kick Zafina with her heels, yet Zafina caught wind of her moves. Her flexibility enabled her to dodge Anna's attacks, much to the Irishwoman's anger.

"Damnit! Why can't you stand still for a second!?" Anna barked, causing Zafina to smirk at her in return.

"It's no use. Your tactics and movements are as predictable as that of your sister's. Besides, I have mastered ancient assassination arts that existed long before Koppojutsu" the purple-haired woman explained, even starting to mock Anna's assassination arts.

By hearing this, Anna fumed. "Do me a favor and don't compare me to that bitch! And second of all, my assassination arts and skills surpass that of Nina!" she yelled, feeling angered to being compared to her older sister. That was something she fervently rejected. As Anna tried to deliver an attack upon her opponent, Zafina blocked it.

"To be fair, I see little dissimilarities between the two of you. You both have the same dishonor as most assassins have" Zafina expressed her opinion of the Williams sisters.

"An assassin judging and assassin? How hypocritical, considering that you are the same as me!" Anna hit back, only for Zafina to push her back a little.

The Egyptian woman's eyes narrowed with anger to what she heard Anna say. It just was something she couldn't let slide so easily. "My people live by the true codes of assassins. Unlike you and your sister, we don't live by the code of greed and riches! That is what separates you from me!" Zafina firmly told her.

Seeing this forced Anna to smirk. "Hmm….is that so?" she questioned her opponent while preparing to stand her guard. "Then why don't you try showing me how good you really are? I'll admit that I'm curious to know more" the brunette encouraged Zafina.

"I will not entertain your urges, narcissist. But I will give you a lesson in humility!" Zafina responded, deciding to continue fighting against Anna.

Alex was up against Leo. The German girl couldn't believe the fact that she was fighting a dinosaur. It was both amazing and scary at the same time. Frankly, she had never seen Alex before, let alone heard about him. Leo managed to avoid getting bitten by the dinosaur's reptilian teeth.

"Scheiße! That was close!" the German girl cursed, still unable to fathom how something like this creature could even exist. "But I still can't understand how something like this can even exist! I mean, dromaeosaurids did die out alongside the other dinosaurs, right!?" she kept pondering about Alex.

Alex was growling like the reptilian monster he was. He kept doing punches in the air, almost as if he was testing his boxing capabilities. Leo had to admit she was intrigued by Alex's behavior. It was amazing.

"I don't know whether this was from the G Corp. But it's still amazing how this dinosaur behaves. I wonder if it understands human language as well" Leo wondered, yet she was on her guard when Alex began charging towards her, this time using his boxing gloves in order to punch her. Leo managed to block his attack, but it was strong enough to send her a few feet away. Eventually, she fell onto the asphalt.

Leo couldn't believe how powerful Alex's punch was. But she had little time to think when she could spot Alex preparing to use the claws on his right foot to stomp on her. Without delay, she quickly rolled over, thus avoiding getting pierced by the razor-sharp claws. Even so, the prehistoric creature didn't loose sight of his opponent/prey. As such, Alex continued his pursuit of the brave spelunker.

But Leo was not giving up the fight. "Dummer Dinosaurier! I'm not gonna be let someone like you be the end of me! I still haven't avenged mom! So come at me, monster!" the blonde-haired girl dared Alex to come at her with all he had. She still knew the reason why she couldn't die, so Leo had to defeat Alex.

JACK-7 was up against both Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law. Given that it was two against one, both friends had assumed that they would be the victors. As a matter of fact, they had just managed to deliver him a double punch assault upon the giant robot. This combined attack had sent JACK-7 rolling.

"Yeah! Take that, ya giant piece of crap!" Paul exclaimed proudly to his opponent.

"Um, don't you mean "scrap"? You know, given that he's not…." Marshall was not sure, yet Paul brushed off his concerns.

"As if I give a damn what he is. The only thing that matters to me is that he stays out of my way while I'm fighting Kazuya! So what say you and me go and….." Paul's suggestion was interrupted by the sound of something above him and Marshall.

The two friends looked up and were shocked to see that JACK-7 was up in the air. But the moment they looked up, he descended towards them. Apparently, he was trying to crush them beneath his attack. Luckily, the two friends had quick wits, and narrowly avoided getting crushed beneath JACK-7's weight.

"Woah! What the hell just happened!? How can something that big fly in the air!?" Marshall was in disbelief in what he was seeing.

Paul was also having similar questions, yet the Judo fighter didn't waste time searching for answers. Instead, he was geared up and ready for another round. Paul hit his gloved hands together, and stretched his neck in order to prepare himself.

"Don't bother searching for answers, Marshall! That thing definitely wants us to go hard on him. I say we give what he wants!" Paul exclaimed and stood in his fighting stance. "OSU!" he then shouted, signifying his determination to battle JACK-7.

Marshall, who was stunned by Paul's willpower, eventually felt the same way. As such, he also was prepared to continue the fight. "I hear ya, buddy! Let's do this together!" the Chinese-American fighter agreed with his best friend.

Gigas was having Katarina as his opponent. So far, the Brazilian woman had managed to avoid getting struck by the red behemoth's deadly attacks. After all, he was a beast, charging towards his opponent like a predator stalking it's prey. Katarina couldn't believe how something like this could even exist.

Nevertheless, the sassy brunette wouldn't let herself be intimidated by Gigas. "Cai pra dentro, sua aberração!" she taunted him in Portuguese before charging towards him, wanting to deliver a powerful kick that would send an opponent flying.

She was always confident in her abilities, given that she had mastered Savate so easily. But Katarina was shocked when Gigas surprisingly caught hold of her right foot, thus preventing her from performing her attack. And not only that, his grip was so firm that he almost squeezed her foot. While feeling the agony, Katarina still had enough determination left within her.

"I'm not finished, yet!" Katarina yelled and was about to use her other foot to kick Gigas in his face. She was filled with determination, feeling no regrets in doing this to Gigas. Despite his tall and humongous size, her feet managed to hit his chin, causing Gigas to lose his grip on Katarina's right foot.

Gigas was sent backwards. Katarina fell onto the asphalt, feeling the pain in her right foot. Unfortunately, her kick on Gigas hadn't made much to injure him. The red behemoth was almost on the verge of crushing the young woman, yet for some particular reason…...he stopped. Why was he doing that?

Katarina, who thought she was done for, was stunned to see the humongous creature ceasing his aggressiveness all of a sudden. From his mask, Gigas looked down upon his opponent, only standing still and watching her. Katarina didn't know what was going on, and she kept looking up to Gigas' many "eyes". She was wary, knowing very well that this monster could have killed her just now, yet something had prevented him from doing it.

As he kept observing Katarina, Gigas suddenly started to feel something in his head. This was something not even his masters in the G Corp could control. It was a realization. Gigas was slowly starting to get his human memories back. To Katarina's astonishment, he even reached out a hand towards her. And not only that, he even began opening his mouth. This time, it was to speak, not to growl.

"Ka…Ka….Kata…Kata…..Katarina….Katarina…..Katarina" he kept saying her name repeatedly.

Katarina's yes widened. "What…...how do you know my name!?" she snapped, feeling confused about someone like Gigas knowing her name. In fact, they hadn't even met before.

Gigas still had his hand reached out towards her. "Katarina…...Kata….." as Gigas' humanity was slowly coming back, his mind felt so much pain. It hurt very bad and he was in an internal struggle between his humanity and his slavery. In fact, the pain was so much for him that he actually ran away.

"Wait! Come back!" Katarina called out to him, yet it was no use. But even as Gigas ran off, something hit in her head. She was now grasping in what had truly happened just now. "No…...it can't be! Don't tell me…" the young woman was now getting a realization in her mind. It was about everything she had been through, especially recent events. The truth had now reached out to her, and Katarina was unsure of how to look at it.

* * *

 _Inside Heihachi's office, Mishima Zaibatsu HQ_

Heihaci was pleased with what he was seeing. The fight between Kazuya and Revenant was now on live, and it had spread throughout the globe like a wildfire. Now, he had succeeded in the first phase of his master plan: to reveal the true identity of Kazuya. He was soon to proceed with the final step.

But as he kept looking at the screen showing Revenant, the old man couldn't help but to think about something. It involved around a person very dear to him, let alone his son.

"This Revenant…...he somehow possessed knowledge about Kazumi…...but how" Heihachi thought, his mind slightly emotional in thinking about his late wife. He still hadn't found out how Revenant knew their history.

Meanwhile, the soldiers in the Tekken Force kept tapping on the map below them, showcasing the ongoing fight between Revenant and Kazuya.

"Sir! We managed to record Kazuya Mishima in his Devil form from multiple angles. They have already been shared more than million times on social media" one of the soldier's informed his superior.

Resting on his chair with his arms crossed, Heihachi sat there satisfied with what was happening. His eyes were closed "Hmph. Kazumi is long gone. Nothing can change that…which is why I will always prevail" he noted to himself before opening his eyes to face the soldiers before him. "Initiate the final sequence!" he commanded them.

As soon as he gave them that order, the soldiers began tapping down the password on the screen in order to get access to the Zaibatsu's ultimate weapon: a satellite death ray. With it under his disposal, Heihachi was confident that victory would be his. It didn't take long before the satellite death ray was activated and aimed towards the Millennium Tower. However, there remained only final step. Heihachi would have to put his handprint upon the screen on his desk in order to fully authorize the firing. It was similar to American presidents and the nuke button that existed in the White House. Now, only Heihachi was needed to fully activate the satellite death ray.

"I had hoped to avoid resorting to such methods. But given the circumstances, I have no choice. This is all done for the greater good. I will achieve world domination and peace" Heihachi thought, glancing down at the screen that was waiting for his handprint. He took off his right glove and readied himself for one of the most decisive moments of his life. "IT ALL ENDS NOW!" he loudly declared and put his handpalm on the screen.

As soon as the analyzing of the handprint was successful, the satellite death ray was now prepared to fire.

* * *

 _In the outer space, above Earth_

Above Earth itself was something gigantic floating in the space. It was the Mishima Zaibatsu's satellite death ray. Now that Heihachi had fully activated it, the satellite was now loading its powerful beam. It was specifically aimed at the Millennium Tower in Tokyo. Having gathered enough sources, the death ray was unleashed and an azure beam was headed down towards the Earth.

Not even the atmosphere and gravity could stop the beam now. Defying all odds, it headed towards it's supposed target. Back in Tokyo, everyone failed to notice the incoming beam. Even those at the Millennium Tower were too distracted by whatever fights they were in. But that's just what Heihachi wanted. Nobody would discover his master plan and what it was.

On the tower itself, Kazuya and Revenant were just about to have another clash, yet neither of them would reach towards one another. The moment they were about to, the beam from the death ray hit the skyscraper. This resulted in an enormous explosion. The Millennium Tower was reduced to dust and the explosion was so big that it even began affecting the surrounding buildings. In other words, it was indeed powerful. And there were fighters there as well. Whether they would be dead or alive, remained to be seen.

* * *

 _Back in Heihachi's office_

Once the screen below him showed "TARGET DESTROYED", Heihachi felt nothing but satisfaction and relief. He had done it! After so many times, he had succeeded in defeating his son. And not only that, he had also disposed off the potential threat from Revenant. Standing up from his chair an surrounded by Kuma, Tamaki and other loyalists, the CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu felt his victory standing before him.

"At last…...EVERYTHING IS OVER! With my enemies lying in the dust…THE ENTIRE WORLD WILL HAIL MY VICTORY! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Heihachi exclaimed while letting out a deep laugh.

This laughter was one that only megalomaniacs such as him could hope to launch. Right now, his long-awaited dream of world domination, was becoming a reality. His subordinates wondered whether he would actually be the just man of peace as he claimed to be. Or was Heihachi just a power-hungry madman like his Mishima ancestors were. Regardless, Heihachi was confident that the world would declare him their hero.

 _To be continued…_


	21. Freeway of Fears

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Freeway of Fears**

 _Inside the Tokaido Shinkansen, Tokyo, Japan_

The network of speed trains that ran across Japan were the perfect transportation to use when traveling from one Japanese city to another. Right now, Miguel Caballero Rojo was entering the shinkansen, having just bought a ticket while standing in a long line. It bored the hell out of him, yet the aggressive Spaniard managed to compose his irritation. Once the speed train had arrived, Miguel stepped onboard.

Inside, he took his seat on the row with only two seats. It was at the end of the row, yet Miguel was fine with it. He sat down and began resting his chin on his hand. Many thoughts were swirling around his head, yet he had one that he couldn't let go off. It was about his personal objective.

While a part of him wanted to go back to Spain, his other and angry part still cried for vengeance against Jin Kazama, the man responsible for the death of his younger sister, as well as his future brother-in-law. While most media outlets had presumed him to be dead, Miguel wasn't falling for it. No, he knew how deceptive and misleading they could be towards the people.

"I don't care about what those stupid news anchors say. He's alive! And most likely in hiding!" Miguel sneered while thinking about Jin, recalling how he had almost succeeded in getting his hands on him not so long ago. "Bastardo! I'm not leaving this country until you're dead!" he then cursed.

As he was thinking about his personal vendetta against Jin, he could notice someone taking a seat next to him, although it was on the row with three seats next to him. When he looked to see who that person was, his eyes narrowed. It was Josie Rizal. She was facing the floor while holding a ticket in her hands. From the looks of it, she was unhappy.

Josie had a good reason to feel that way. She had found out that her former boss had decided to get rid of her by sending his men to assassinate her. She was of course not the only target. The other contestants were also receiving their assassination.

Still, Miguel felt no sympathy towards the former Tekken Force member. He still recalled back yesterday, when she would always try proclaiming her innocence in the Tekken Force's atrocious actions. The very thought of that filled Miguel with contempt towards the Philippine girl.

Josie realized that she was being watched, yet she knew whose eyes they belonged to. Still, she felt the need to speak, let alone look at the man. "How long are you planning on staring at me? Don't you know how rude that is?" she questioned him, her voice sounding miserable.

"Tch, don't act like you're a victim here. You deserve this for being a member of a group that has murdered innocents!" Miguel spat at her. "And speaking of which, how does it feel to know how your boss has stabbed you in the back?" he then asked her.

Irritated, Josie turned her face to him. "Look! I don't know what your deal is, but I don't wanna speak with you! So do me a favor and shut up!" she hit back, before huffing and looking towards the window to her side.

"Whatever you say, perra llorna" Miguel muttered towards her in return, deciding to simply watch the window at his side.

As soon as each of them began facing away from each other, the shinkansen started going and soon left the station in Tokyo. Given how incredible speed it was going, it would reach its next stop in no time. Almost every seat in the wagons were occupied, with only a few remaining vacant. Still, every passenger onboard would have their own reasons for hopping onboard the train.

As Josie kept staring out the window, she couldn't help but to look over her shoulder. True, she did feel sorry for the loss he had to endure, yet felt the treatment towards her was unfair. The Philippine girl slowly realized how she was only wasting time focusing on him, so she returned to look out the window.

Miguel, while not paying attention to Josie, did in fact look over his shoulder to see how she was doing. When he did that, the Spaniard snapped in confusion. Why was he doing that? Didn't he bear nothing but resentment towards Josie? Miguel quickly shifted focus to looking outside the window.

Perhaps it was best for them not to bother each other, given how they didn't have chemistry with each other. Miguel and Josie weren't the only ones sitting inside the shinkansen. Wang Jinrei and King were also doing that, the two fighters having decided to sit with each other. Since being put on the same team in the tournament, King had grown to respect and value Wang's wisdom. In return, Wang was amused and intrigued by how King had gone from almost killing Craig Marduk to becoming friends with him. It amazed the elderly man in how King had been able to overcome vengeance.

But now, they were talking about other subjects, including what they would do now that Heihachi had faked his death and cancelled the tournament.

"So you are heading for Kyoto next?" King asked the elderly man.

"Indeed. I have certain friends there that I would like to visit now that I am here in Japan. But first, I am thinking about taking a break from wandering through cities. Mount Hiei will be just enough to provide me with peace and relaxation. My old bones cannot take so much these days" Wang told him in return.

King nodded his head in understanding. "I see. Well, I think I will hop off in Osaka. I have to talk with certain friends of mine back in Mexico" the wrestler spoke of what he would do next.

Wang smiled through his long, white beard. "Ah, I almost forgot to ask you this. How does the orphanage fare? Hopefully, you are taking great of those poor, young souls" he asked him.

"To be honest with you, it has been really hard for me to keep it running, given all the global conflict that's been ongoing. Even worse, Mexico has become a battlefield between the Zaibatsu and the G Corp" King spoke up with honesty, unable to hide this from someone as pure-hearted as Wang Jinrei. "Still, I will not give up the orphanage. It is my predecessor's legacy and I intend on keeping it" he then said with determination building within him.

"Wise words, young one. Your willpower astounds even me. One would never expect a wrestler to have it" Wang noted.

King has to be amused when hearing this. "You must be one of the few people I know that can see who I am beneath his mask. I salute you, Wang Jinrei" the wrestler informed him.

The shinkansen kept going fast on its tracks, passing by towns, fields and mountains. This was perhaps among the fastest trains on Earth, and it would always reach its destination in no time.

* * *

 _Inside a Cadillac XTS Limousine, on a highway, Yamanishi, Japan_

On a highway passing by the famous Fuji-san, a black Cadillac XTS Limousine carrying many former contestants of the tournament were sitting inside. For some reason, they all had the same destination: Kyoto. It was driven by Sebastian, the butler of the Rochefort family and a personal caretaker of Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort. She had offered her newfound "friends" to come ride with her in this limousine. As such, they would be having one heck of a road trip to Kyoto.

Inside the limo was two rows of seats, as well as a minibar and a small flatscreen. Lili sat on the corner, right behind the wall that separated the driver's room from the passengers. Luckily, the window between them was open, which enabled Lili to have a conversation with her butler as he was focused on the road. At the same time, Sebastian couldn't believe what the young girl had been through they parted ways in Shanghai.

"You did what!?" Sebastian was startled in what his young mistress was telling him. "You almost got drowned on your trip across the South China Sea, and nearly killed by the Tekken Force in the hotel you were staying at!? Oh mon Dieu!" he exclaimed frantically, although the butler still kept his focus on the road.

Lili giggled in hearing this. "Relax, Sebastian. I told you that I would make it alive until we met again, didn't I? And as always, I kept my promise" she told him as if it was not that big of a deal.

Sebastian groaned slightly. "Ça suffit, Madame Lili. I just cannot stand hearing more of these harsh trips of yours. How are you going to explain this do your dear father when he finds out?" the butler asked her.

"What do you think? I'll stick with what we agreed upon. I was just on a cruise trip on the South China Sea. That's more than enough to ease his concerns" Lili replied quickly. "But this is no time for regrets, Sebastian! Keep driving until we reach Kyoto. Then we will figure out what to do next. Compris?" the blonde-haired girl commanded him, taking joy in ordering Sebastian.

The butler sighed, yet willingly obeyed Lili's wishes. "Comme vous le commandez, madame" Sebastian responded in French, his hands never leaving the steering wheel.

Lili soon turned her attention towards the people that were sitting on each side in the limo. On the left sat Ling Xiaoyu, Steve Fox, Ganryu and Julia Chang. On the opposite side sat Hwoarang, Asuka Kazama, Michelle Chang and Robert "Bob" Richards. They were all trying to converse with each other, most of them starting out as positive.

Steve was talking to Hwoarang, given that they were occasional rivals both in and outside the tournament. The Taekwondo fighter had told him, Xiaoyu, Asuka and the others about what he experienced before entering the tournament.

"So, that's how you got that eyepatch, eh? Figures. I thought it was a new style of yours or something" the British boxer remarked while commenting Hwoarang's new look, especially his eyepatch.

"A new style of mine? No way in hell!" the Korean man snapped, recalling to how he had gotten it, let alone injure his right eye. "I was THIS close to beating Jin until those damn mercenaries hired by the G Corp had to show up! And given how they wanted him so badly, they threw a grenade at me, which I narrowly managed to avoid!" Hwoarang lamented with not only losing his right eye, but his opponent too.

Xiaoyu were stunned when she had heard his story. "But are you being serious, Hwoarang? Did Jin really transform himself into that…...form of his?" he wanted to know whether he had actually fought Jin in his Devil form.

Hwoarang stared at her bewildered in return. "Duh! Of course, he did! As I just said, I found him randomly walking into a bazaar in Saudi Arabia and before I knew it, he suddenly went all berserk and started causing havoc. But luckily I was there to catch his attention" he told the Chinese girl.

"I'm amazed by how you managed to last against him. That monster could've easily ended your life, you know" Asuka remarked in hearing Hwoarang's explanation.

"What did you just call him!?" Xiaoyu snapped at the brunette, furious in hearing Asuka's comment. "Don't you ever refer to Jin as a monster! I won't stand for it!" she added to her verbal assault upon Asuka.

The Japanese girl narrowed her eyes at Xiaoyu in return. "If he's not a monster, then what is he then? You must seriously be delusional to think of him as a human being!" Asuka hit back at her.

None of the other passengers understood the growing animosity brewing between the two girls. They kept glaring at each other in a staring contest. But Lilli, on the hand, was having amusement in observing it.

"Ah, now I see what drives the two of you up against each other. It's all about Jin Kazama…." Lili said, yet the blonde-haired girl soon found herself frown in mentioning that name. "But then again, I also happen to loath that man, given what he did to Rochefort Enterprises and my father's oil fields" she muttered.

Hwoarang whistled in amazement. "Whoa, Jin really has done a lot to piss off everyone. Can't say I'm not surprised" the auburn-haired man remarked.

"But there is still something good in him! Come on, Hwoarang! You should already know that better than any of us!" Xiaoyu snapped, yet she was soon calmed when Steve tried to restrain her from going at either Hwoarang or Asuka.

"Easy there, love. This isn't the right place to be fighting. Don't forget that we're on the highway driving in full speed" Steve encouraged the Chinese girl, yet she still couldn't let go of her anger.

"My, aren't you the smart type of man?" Lili musingly wondered, watching as Steve tried to prevent things from escalating between his friends.

Asuka was doing her best to control her urge to punch Xiaoyu, given how condescending she was behaving towards her right now. "You touch me and I'll give you a knucklesandwich in return!" she warned Xiaoyu.

At the same time as this kafuffle was taking place, Ganryu was now sitting face to face with the woman he once loved: Michelle Chang. Being in this position felt kind of awkward for the Yokozuna. He had promised himself to forget about her, yet here she was sitting and staring at him confused. She probably didn't fully recognize him. Ganryu tried his best to compose himself.

"I beg your pardon, sir. But do I know you?" Michelle politely asked him. "For some reason, you look awfully familiar to someone I knew years ago" she added to her curiosity.

The middle-aged man felt so embarrassed, yet he knew the need to answer. "Um…...I d-don't know what you're t-talking about…." Ganryu mumbled between his words.

Julia only watched this with confusion. "What's with that guy? He really is a weirdo" she noted while observing the talk between Ganryu and her adoptive mother.

Bob also paid attention to this, yet he was more interested in Ganryu's profession. As such, he tried to talk with him. "So you're a Sumo wrestler? Cool! Truth be told, I've always wanted to meet one" the chubby man expressed his interest. "I've heard that you're a Yokozuna. Is that correct?" Bob then asked him.

This led Ganryu to shift focus to Bob, surprised to know someone like him know about the ranks within Sumo wrestling. As such, his nervousness was washed away. "Indeed I am. And let me tell you, in the history of Sumo, only a few handful people achieves the rank of Yokozuna. That title is earned through solid efforts and repeated wins" he replied to Bob.

The blonde-haired man smiled. "Amazing. We should spar sometimes, you and I" Bob told Ganryu, who in turn was amused.

"I would be happy to. Assuming that you know how to fight, that is" Ganryu responded.

Bob smirked. "Trust me, this body of mine may not look like it, but it's the ultimate definition of perfection" he boasted, although those in the care were unsure of how to make of his statement. It was even ironic, given how Bob's weight was heavier than that of Ganryu's. Both men were taking a lot of space on the seats, yet it didn't affect the others.

Michelle's head soon came to a realization in her head. This could be seen based upon her gasping. She immediately faced Ganryu while pointing a finger at him. "Hold the phone! Now I remember you! You're that Sumo wrestler who was once a bodyguard for Kazuya Mishima!" she exclaimed.

Ganryu snapped once he heard what came out of the Native American woman's mouth. All eyes turned upon him, stunned by what they heard. The Japanese man was sweating intensively all over his stout body.

"What did you say? You mean this bumbling doofus worked for Kazuya once?" Xiaoyu was in disbelief in what she was hearing. "But then again, that would explain why he was with those guys wo chased Jin" she then realized, remembering how Ganryu had been "recruited" by his former associates to hunt down Jin.

"You're not joking, right? Who is he, mom? And how did you meet him?" Julia asked her adoptive mother.

Michelle looked at Ganryu, the Sumo wrestler shivering in embarrassment. Slowly, she began recalling the memories they shared. "It was during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2. Kazuya was at that time the leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu as well as the host of the tournament. But at that time, he sought out an amulet that me and the tribe possessed. Kazuya sent him to retrieve it" the brunette explained how she met him.

"B-but that h-happened so many years a-ago! A lot h-has changed since we met. I'm no longer a b-bad guy" Ganryu tried to reassure Michelle that he was not the same man as he once was.

She stared at him for one moment, before giggling at him in amusement. "I can tell that based upon your response. I always knew you would change your ways. To be fair, you weren't as mean as the other bodyguards of Kazuya" Michelle told him.

Hearing this caused Ganryu to freeze. Did Michelle just complement him? Was she saying that Ganryu wasn't as mean as Bruce and Anna were? He could tell by the one of her voice that she meant it.

"Oh…...you think so?" he asked her in surprise.

"Why of course! And I still haven't thanked you for not choosing to pursue me. You let me keep the sacred amulet. For that, I have to thank you" Michelle expressed her gratitude.

Although a part of him was delighted to hear her say that to him, Ganryu realized that Michelle was completely ignorant of the fact that the reason he had let her keep the amulet, was due to him loving her. It slightly broke his heart to hear how she still saw it that way. But then again, Ganryu had opened a business in order to forget about her, although he was quickly drawn to Julia due to her close resemblance to Michelle, despite them not being related by blood.

"So that's how you know this guy?" Julia asked her adoptive mother.

"Yeah. Although we were both contestants in the first tournament, we got to know each other better during the second one. But those were years ago. So many things have changed since I fought in the tournaments" Michelle answered, still unable to fathom the changes occurring throughout the world. "But now, the entire world is in war. A war between men who are no different from one another. However, there must be some people who are willing to oppose each side and bring peace back" she then spoke up.

Julia nodded her head in agreement. "Exactly! Which is why we'll head to Violet Systems and see what Lee Chaolan is doing. He may be able to help us" she told him.

Hwoarang snorted in hearing this. "I could care less about some flamboyant jackass helping us! What I DO care is that he knows something or two about Jin and his whereabouts! I'm gonna make him talk, one way or another!" the Taekwondo fighter signaled his willingness to search for and fight Jin.

"The feeling's mutual" Asuka spoke up, yet she was facing the Korean man with a stern glance. "But know this. I've got a bone to pick with him! Therefore, he's mine to catch!" she told him, only for Hwoarang to stare at her with an irritated look.

"Tch, only in your dreams, girly! I've fought him before and know his every move, so you might as well sit back and leave that job to me!" Hwoarang rebuked the Japanese girl, who was fuming with irritation.

"None of you are gonna fight him!" both Asuka and Hwoarang glared at Xiaoyu, given that she was the one to say that to them. The girl with pigtails was not looking away. "Know that I'll be the one to stop Jin, as well as saving him. So both of you can forget ever getting near him!" she added firmly.

Asuka couldn't help but to feel angered over Xiaoyu constantly butting into her vendetta against Jin. "Why can't you just mind your own damn business!? There's no way I'm gonna let you have him!" she told her aggressively, yet Xiaoyu didn't back down.

Steve couldn't believe in hearing all this. "I don't get it. Why are these guys so fixated upon that smug wanker Jin Kazama!? I mean…what's so important about him that I can't grasp?!" the British man was starting to become annoyed with hearing Jin's name being brought up in casual discussions.

Lili, realizing that this argument could escalate, decided to step in. "Alright. Calm down, everyone. There is no need to get all hissy with each other. After all, you're sitting in one of my limousines. Surely you can respect my rules for taking you along for the ride, can you?" she told them, yet all of a sudden turned her attention to the minibar, as well as the flatscreen. "How about I offer you some refreshments from the minibar? You can take whatever you want. It's all free" she told them, hoping that it would ease tensions.

Bob smiled in seeing this. "You really mean it? Sounds great! I could use a drink. I'll just take a soda or something. Say, does this minibar have snacks?" he asked, always willing to get enthusiastic when it came to eating.

"Of course. But they are mostly in the form of chocolate bars and potato chips. But I assume that's enough for you" she politely replied.

"Sure. This isn't a fancy restaurant. Snacks will be more than enough for me" Bob told her in return.

"Just don't eat up everything, Bob. We also want some snacks" Julia teasingly told him, causing the others, minus Ganryu, to laugh.

Bob sighed in annoyance in hearing this. "Ha, ha, really funny, guys" Bob knew what this joke was aimed at. But he tried to brush it off as nothing but a childish gesture.

Lili reached for the remote to the flatscreen, switching it on. She was certain that there would be something interesting to watch, among them the news. The young girl was certain that the news of Heihachi's supposed death would send the entire world into a tailspin.

Once the screen was on, it showed them a news channel. But everyone looked at it and saw that the it was breaking news. The screen was showing a spokesperson for the Mishima Zaibatsu, announcing something drastic.

" _Greetings, citizens of the world. We understand that a recent announcement has sent this world into uproar. That is why we of the Mishima Zaibatsu are here to verify that the reports about Heihachi Mishima being dead were all false. Our leader is still alive and breathing. But we regret to inform you that our database was recently hacked by the G Corporation. As such, we have suffered a cyberattack from them, which also resulted in the tournament being called off. But our database is slowly begging to recover and we are taking extreme measures to protect it. All that we can say is that our foes were trying to distort you with this false deceleration about our leader being dead. Therefore, we implore you to proceed as if everything is normal and pretend these little mishaps didn't occur. Heihachi Mishima himself will announce his next move since recovering from these defamations. Until then, a fond a farewell_ "

"I can't believe it! The Zaibatsu managed to fool the entire world. And now they are blaming the G Corp for it" Michelle was in disbelief in what she was seeing.

Steve's eyes narrowed at the screen. "Well, I'm not surprised that they would resort to such methods. This announcement only reveals how sneaky that old bastard Heihachi really is" he expressed his utter distaste of the old man.

Xiaoyu, however, didn't open her mouth to speak. Rather, she was shocked in the kind of person Heihachi had become. True, when she was enrolled at Mishima High, Xiaoyu had considered herself as his number one fan, given how rich and powerful Heihachi was. It was, after all, he who built the school, as well as being its headmaster. But on another note, the secret reason for admiring Heihachi was in order to get closer with Jin, who was his grandson. But in recent years, especially after learning more about the Mishimas, Xiaoyu's former admiration of Heihachi had turned into that of disappointment.

"Either way, it's too late for Heihachi to reopen the tournament. Not to mention that he tried to kill us!" Hwoarang stated with a scowl. "Therefore, I'm not heading back to participate in whatever schemes he's playing. And to think I busted my ass and almost survived a shipwreck to come here" he them muttered to himself angrily.

Some of the others were surprised in hearing this. "Really, you actually did that?" Julia asked him in slight amazement.

"Not just him. Me too" Lili pointed out, and everyone remembered her conversation with her butler.

"Alright. Let's get back to what's at stake here. It's obvious Heihachi is doing this in order to defeat his enemies at the G Corp. But by how?" Bob wondered about the subject.

"I also wonder" Ganryu admitted, he too being confused by all these announcements.

As the fighters kept wondering about how these events would unfold. The screen suddenly began showing a new shock announcement. This caught everyone's attention. This time, it was showing Kazuya Mishima, in his Devil form. Unbeknownst to them, it was from the Kazuya's fight with Revenant on the Millennium Tower. Then again, Revenant was nowhere to be seen on the screen, given that it was the Mishima who was the focus.

" _We have currently received this shocking announcement! It appears that the man who currently leads the G Corporation is none other than Kazuya Mishima, Heihachi's son. This man, who currently has an arrest warrant hanging over him by the ICC, has been spotted fighting at the G Corp's Millennium Tower in this demonic form. The true face of the conglomerate has now been revealed! What will be the next phase of this chaotic war?_ "

Once again, the gang was caught by surprise. First, it was Heihachi faking his death, then it was the Zaibatsu accusing the G Corp of fabricating those reports and now it was Kazuya floating while in this horrific form of his.

"Bloody hell…" Steve cursed in what he was seeing.

"Just what the heck's going on here!?" Asuka demanded, feeling slightly uneasy.

"Kazuya Mishima…you really are demonic…." Ganryu spoke up, he too recalling the kind of man his former employer was.

"That must be the power of his Devil Gene…in full display for the entire world to see" Julia noted, the brunette shocked by Kazuya's appearance.

Michelle also felt the same way. "Kazuya….and to think I considered him handsome once!" she thought. "Since his true form has been revealed, the entire world will start disavowing Kazuya and the G Corp as this war's supposed heroes. That's probably what Heihachi wanted" she then told the others.

"The only question is how he plans on defeating Kazuya" Lili spoke up. "Somehow, I have a feeling that this could get uglier" she then admitted to her friends.

This was the sentiment they all shared. But what would happen next to them? So far, they couldn't find the answer yet.

* * *

 _Inside a large vehicle, near Chuo Expressway, Nagano, Japan_

Inside an incredibly huge vehicle that appeared to be parked in the forest at the foot of the mountain called Shiroyama. It was near some Japanese fields and farms, as well as very close to the freeway. However, there were someone sitting inside this vehicle. It was Bryan Fury and Sergei Dragunov. These two men had decided to become allies with the Italian exorcist named Claudio Serafino along with some other fighters. This so-called group they had formed was called L'ordine.

Since the declaration, each member had been told by Claudio that they would need to capture several persons of interest that were inside a black Cadillac XTS Limousine. In order to do so, Bryan had managed to "steal" one of these big machines and was now waiting for the signal.

"Tch…...talk about a big bore! When is the action getting started!?" Bryan was getting impatient, yet he looked to his left and saw Dragunov watching what appeared to be a tablet computer. He had been itching for something to happen.

On its screen, Dragunov was staring at a GPS, although he was specifically eyeing the nearby highway. He sat there, calm as if nothing else was bothering him. Then again, Bryan appreciated the fact that Dragunov was a silent type of guy, who never made a noise. That and the fact that both men shared an interest in military equipment only strengthened their partnership. But Bryan was not sure about how the Russian soldier truly felt about him, yet he didn't seem to care either.

But both men's attention was directed towards the tablet computer, as it was currently beeping. This was due to the fact that their "targets" were currently driving on the highway. It was also not far from their standpoint.

In seeing this, Bryan let out a laugh and proceeded to start the engine of the vehicle. "Finally! It's about time they showed up! Now's our chance to rain hell upon them. Do you mind passing on this to the others?" the cyborg exclaimed while asking Dragunov to let their "comrades" know of their move.

In response, Dragunov simply glared at Bryan coldly. This was probably the first time he had ever done that to him, yet Bryan could tell what he was saying, despite not even opening his mouth. The cyborg groaned in irritation.

"Fine! I'll do it myself!" Bryan rudely replied and reached for what appeared to be a walkie-talkie hanging by the control panel. Somehow, it looked awfully similar to the ones used by police officers in their cruisers. But in this case, Bryan was now using the walkie-talkie to communicate with his cohorts. "Boys. Bryan and the Rusky here. The targets are on the highway now. Be prepared to join in on the chase when I say so" he then told them.

Dragunov glared at Bryan dispassionately, given that he had just used an ethnic slur towards him. Still, the Russian soldier easily controlled his emotions, preferring to see their objectives being completed rather than throwing a fit of anger.

The large vehicle that Bryan and Dragunov was sitting int was actually a monster truck! It was a yellow 2001 Ford F650 Monster Truck, with four gigantic wheels and carburetors under an air scoop. In other words, this was a machine built to tear down not just trees and bushes, but even buildings, especially those old shacks. However, their target was only the black Cadillac limousine…nothing else. Apparently, Dragunov had planted a tracking device underneath the limo before it had arrived to pick Lili and the others. That is why they had been waiting for them in the woods.

Tearing down trees on the way up and down hills, nothing stopped the monster truck from reaching its destination. The loud motoring sounds could be heard by some Japanese farmers, yet they quickly ran away as fast as they could. It didn't take long before the monster truck drove upon the fields, leaving nothing but destruction upon its drive. And now, it was heading towards the highway.

Back on the Chuo Expressway, Sebastian was driving calmly while watching the long road ahead of him. So far, the traffic seemed perfectly normal. Driving at the maximum speed which was permitted on Japanese freeways, the butler was confident that he and his passengers would reach Kyoto in no time. Right now, they were driving by the Buddhist temple called Jokyuji. But Sebastian was in for a shock when something unexpected emerged right out of the forest to his left.

Out from the blue, a yellow monster truck appeared, jumping in the air as it soon landed on the other driving lane. The vehicles driving on the opposite direction all stopped in seeing the monster truck heading towards them.

Seeing this shocked Sebastian, something which forced him to pull on the breaks quickly. "SACRÉ BLEU!" the butler exclaimed out in fear as he tried to steer the limo, almost losing his grip on the steering wheel.

However, Sebastian's actions had rattled his passengers, and they almost fell off their seats. However, it wasn't serious, given how everyone wore seatbelts, except for Ganryu and Bob, given how stout they were. Still, none were injured.

"Sebastian! What in the world is going on!?" Lili demanded, looking through the window into the driver's room. When she saw what was happening, her eyes widened. "Oh…...mon…...Dieu…..." she then said in French.

Her guests didn't understand what she was referring to, yet they soon looked out their windows and saw the same thing as Lili and her butler did, given that the limo was driving at a slow speed. It was unbelievable.

"Holy shit! Where the hell did that monster truck come from!?" Hwoarang exclaimed loudly while observing it on the opposite driving lane.

"No idea! But a more important question is what's it doing here on a highway!" Bob spoke up his mind.

"I've got a bad feeling about this…" Julia admitted, the brunette feeling uncomfortable in seeing such a giant vehicle.

As those inside the limousine were confused to why such a giant vehicle had suddenly appeared out of the blue, they managed to drive by it and got a view of who was sitting inside. The immediately recognized their faces.

"I don't believe it! That pale man with the black hair and scar across his mouth! It's Sergei Dragunov, a member of Spetsnaz!" Lili exclaimed, recalling how she had fought the Russian in the first phase of the tournament, let alone seen him at her birthday party in the Rochefort Mansion.

"And that partner of his is Bryan Fury. But what are they doing inside a monster truck!?" Xiaoyu wondered, recalling to how Bryan had been after Jin once.

"You could say that. Come to think of it, we didn't get a glimpse of either them nor their teammates when we got evacuated from the hotel in Tokyo. Is this the reason why we didn't get to see them, perhaps?" Michelle remarked, thus reminding everyone of the fact that none of these men were seen among the evacuated contestants.

But as the limo kept going on the road, the monster truck soon set its course towards them, even driving over to the same lane they were in. Along the way, it crushed some cars that drove towards its gigantic wheels. Seeing this brought fear into Sebastian, who was seeing this in the mirror.

"Hold up…those guys…...they're…" Asuka uttered out words as she and the others looked at the back window.

"THEY'RE AFTER US!" Ganryu screamed in terror and he was soon joined by the others.

Indeed, Bryan stepped on the gas, causing the monster truck to go towards them in full speed. But Sebastian did the same thing with the gas pedal in the limo. And thus, began the chase on the Chuo Expressway. It was a horrifying experience for those in the limo. Right now, they were striving to survive.

"THOSE CRAZY BASTARDS! THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL US!" Michelle cried out.

"BUT FOR WHAT REASON!?" Steve wondered aloud, himself feeling terrified of this situation.

"SCREW THE REASON! JUST GET US THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!" Hwoarang screamed while telling Sebastian to speed up.

But the butler was already on it, trying to steer past cars that only ended up being crushed beneath the monster truck. At this rate, it was a deadly cat and mouse chase.

In the monster truck, Bryan sat and grinned sadistically as he drove over cars and everything else that came between him and the limo. On the other hand, Dragunov only sat and watched the carnage nonchalantly. Neither of these men showed remorse for what happened with innocent civilians.

"YEEEEHAAAAAAAAW! NOW'S THE TIME FOR THE RACE DEATHMATCH!" Bryan exclaimed loudly, his crazed eyes never leaving sight of the limo.

Despite the monster truck being taller than the limo, it wasn't necessarily slow. As such, Bryan kept pulling the gas, savoring for the moment he would get to crush his targets beneath. As the cyborg kept driving, Dragunov looked at the GPS and suddenly noticed something. He then looked out the window to see what lied before them.

At the end of the highway lied a mountain. This was the one called Amikakeyama. But there were two tunnels lying at its foot. Therefore, the Chuo Expressway didn't stop there. It continued through the tunnels, also known as the Amikake Tunnel. While Dragunov noticed it first, Bryan was too focused on getting trying to smash his targets that he almost forgot to look forward.

"What!? Ah, you gotta be kidding me!" Bryan spat as he was forced to break, given that the monster truck was simply too large to enter the tunnel. But the limo was small enough, as such, they got in there safely. After stopping the vehicle, Bryan scowled in watching his victims flee. "Screw these tunnels! I almost had those punks!" he exclaimed in anger.

Still, Dragunov was not scared of seeing the cyborg's outburst. He even pointed his finger to his right. Surprisingly, Bryan did look at that direction, yet he was simply pissed off at the moment. However, he understood what Dragunov was suggesting to him.

"What a pain in the ass. Fine! We'll drive around that damn mountain and see if we can get back on the highway!" Bryan replied and steered the wheel so that it drove off the highway and landed on the way to Chisato. When it began nearing the town, the monster truck actually drove on the river! While driving, Bryan reached for the walkie-talkie. "Alright, guys! They're currently in the tunnel underneath Amikakeyama. That means you'll have to try and chase them!" the cyborg communicated with them, although he was not being enthusiastic about this.

Inside the Amikake Tunnel, Sebastian breathed a sight of relief, knowing that he had succeeded in bringing everyone to safety. "Thank goodness. Those hooligans won't be chasing after us in this tunnel" the butler was pleased by the fact that he could now drive safely.

The passengers in the limo all felt the same way as Sebastian did. As such, they now took their time to relieve off their stress. It was the right thing to do, given that they had just felt a near-death experience.

"Goddamn! If it hadn't been for this tunnel, we would've gotten squashed like dough just now!" Hwoarang exclaimed out in frustration and stress at the same time.

"You don't say. And here I thought getting drowned by a rouge wave was enough" Lili spoke up, the rich girl reaching for what appeared to be a hand fan. She waved it a little so that it cooled her off. "Oh no. Now I'm getting all sweaty" she complained.

Asuka glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "That's what's concerning you the most? Grow up, Lili!" the brunette berated her rival.

"Yeah, grow up!" Xiaoyu surprisingly spoke up. But the Chinese girl snapped when she actually said that. As did Asuka.

The two girls looked at each other, not believing the fact that they agreed with each other on Lili's snobbish attitude. After staring at each other for a few seconds, both Xiaoyu and Asuka looked away, pretending that nothing happened.

The other fighters became confused. "Seriously. What's their deal?" Julia wondered while watching the girls not making eye contact towards one another.

"Search me" Bob spoke up, he too confused by seeing this.

"But look on the bright side, everyone. We're all still alive!" Ganryu spoke up with so much happiness in his voice. But at the same time, the Sumo wrestler was also getting a bit teary. "I almost thought I was gonna die by those monsters! And I did, what would've happened to my Chanko Paradise!? I could never bring myself to see it closing!" he was getting emotional when thinking about his restaurant.

Steve looked at him with slight interest. "So, you run a restaurant? Woah. For some reason, you remind me of a friend that used to run a restaurant chain in the past" the boxer told Ganryu.

Michelle seemed to know who Steve was referring to. "That friend of yours, he wouldn't happen to be Marshall Law, would he?" the Native American woman asked him with a smile, to which Steve responded with a nod. "I knew it had to be him. That brand of his was quite creative. Marshall China. But I heard his career wasn't a success. Poor guy" she spoke of the Chinese-American fighter.

Hearing this finally hit something in Julia's head. "I see. That's why he wasn't in the third tournament. Rather….it was his son" she recalled fighting Forrest Law during the third tournament.

In the driver's seat, Sebastian looked ahead and could see the end of the tunnel. From the looks of it, there was no monster truck in sight. Smiling, he slightly looked over his shoulders to face his passengers.

"Bonne nouvelle, mesdames et messieurs. We are almost at the exit and there is not a monster truck in sight. Therefore, it is safe to say that we have lost them" the butler replied as the limo just exited the tunnel.

Looking out the windows, all the fighters were relieved to find out that Bryan and Dragunov were not present. It filled them with only more relief.

"Ah, how delightful it feels to not have someone trying to kill you. It looks like we're safe from now on" Lili exclaimed while stretching out her arms.

"Can we really be sure? For all we know, those mean bastards could be trying to find a way around this mountain in order to pursue us" Ganryu was slightly getting paranoid.

Bob shook his head slightly. "Don't worry. They'll have to do more if they intend on catching us. Look ahead" the chubby man encouraged him to look through the font window.

Some of the other passengers did and they could spot what appeared to be another tunnel lying before them. But from the looks of it, it was longer, given that they would be driving underneath chains of mountains.

"The tunnel before us is the Enasan Tunnel. It will take us underneath Misakayama. Once we have driven through it, it won't be long before we reach Nakatsugawa" Sebastian informed his passengers.

"Yeah, but it's still a long way to Kyoto. But all we can do is being patient" Xiaoyu spoke up, her mind filled with so many thoughts that it left her in a different state. "I don't understand how you can keep all this to yourself, gramps. Why do you still treat me as if I'm a little girl!?" the Chinese girl wondered while thinking about her teacher: Wang Jinrei.

If Julia and Michelle were right, then Wang would undoubtedly be seeking out Lee Chaolan and his Violet Systems in Kyoto. There, she would discover the true reason for why he had left China and risked his health to come to Japan. Xiaoyu still didn't believe in his story about only coming over to visit some friends. She wasn't falling for that.

* * *

 _Inside a giant vehicle, in the thick forest near the Suwa Shrine, Gifu, Japan_

Deep within the forests near the highway, someone was actually waiting inside a giant monster truck. The men inside were the masked luchador Armor King and the Chinese Kenpo master Feng Wei. Like Bryan and Dragunov, these two had also joined in on this alliance with Claudio Serafino called L'ordine. How they agreed to his terms, was not yet known.

Even so, they had the same goals as their cohorts: capturing the persons of interest inside a black Cadillac XTS Limousine. Their choice of vehicle was also a handful one. Armor King and Feng had snatched a red 2005 Dodge Ram Monster Truck. To be frank, it looked like a giant angry ram, waiting to gore its target. But as of now, its engines were off.

"There is no sign of our targets yet. But based upon what Bryan and Dragunov told us, they managed to make into the Amikake Tunnel. I assume that it will also take some time before they are out of the Enasan Tunnel as well" Feng spoke up as he was watching a GPS.

Armor King held his hands onto the steering wheel. "No matter. They will near this spot soon enough. Then, we will do what we can to force these people out of the limo. But we must be careful not to crush them" the wrestler informed his partner.

Feng faced his cohort with his dragon-like eyes. "You are the one driving, not me. As such, making sure they are alive falls upon you" he reminded the wrestler, who didn't seem to give much thought in return.

As the two fighters sat inside the monster truck in silence, Armor King couldn't help but to wonder about the reason he had agreed to doing this "job". He even wondered whether Claudio was being truthful when he said he would assist him with his issues.

"I will admit that forming this L'ordine is a bit ridiculous. But given the circumstances we find ourselves in, it would be nice if he would be honest in helping us in reaching our goals" the man wearing the black jaguar mask informed Feng.

"Yes. But our goals differ, I suppose. Regardless, I still share your sentiments about Claudio Serafino. He is no ordinary man. What he really is, I have yet to fully understand" Feng replied to his partner's thoughts.

As they kept engaging in this conversation, the GPS began beeping and it showed a small spot moving along the Chuo Expressway. Both fighters immediately realized that their targets were nearby and knew what to do.

"They are here. And faster than expected" Feng remarked in what he was seeing on the small screen.

Armor King started the monster truck's engine, its motors making a noise so loud that it scared the nearby birds. "Finalmente! I was growing tired of sitting in this small space. Now, we can begin the operation. Agárrate fuerte!" the masked man told his partner to hold on tight in Spanish, before proceeding to stomp on the gas pedal.

The moment he did that, the red monster truck began moving quickly. Given its size and speed, it simply tore down anything that stood in the way, from trees to bushes. After all, that monster truck was built to destroy things. A such, they would do anything to reach the highway. But at the same time, they would follow the GPS, in order to reach the limo

As trees fell before the monster truck's wrath, they soon could see the highway in full display. And at the same time, they could spot the black Cadillac limo driving on it. Knowing just the way to surprise them, Armor King sped up. He was intending on making a jump from the forested hill and onto them.

"Now we them! Prepare yourselves!" Amor King bellowed as the red monster truck was now up in the air, heading towards the incoming limo.

Seeing a flying monster truck heading towards him completely caught Sebastian off-guard. Desperate to get away, he swung the steering wheel to the left, so that it ended up crashing the fence. The limo was out of control and it drove off the highway and fell down to towards a field of grass. But because of that, Sebastian had control of steering the vehicle, so it continued driving down along the hills of Kamida. It actually drove off an edge, thus falling onto another sets of hills, expect for the fact that it began rolling. Rolling down some fields, the limo stopped when it crashed into some nearby trees.

It was devastating. The limo was now standing upside down, with its windows shattered and many bulks on its doors. And to add insults to the injuries, smoke was coming out of the luxury vehicle.

However, the passengers began exiting the limo one by one, albeit slowly. They felt so much injures across their heads, given that they had likely banged heads with each other. Hwoarang was holding onto his eyepatch, as his only had had not been injured.

"Damnit! I almost lost my only eye!" Hwoarang cursed while coughing.

Julia and Michelle were crawling out of the vehicle, each of them coughing while holding onto their heads. "Julia! Are you alright!?" Michelle asked, her motherly instincts taking hold of her once again.

The brunette weakly nodded her head in agreement in return. "I'm fine…..just a little…." Julia winced in pain and held onto her head.

Michelle quickly came to her side. "You didn't receive any cuts, did you!?" she asked worryingly.

Sebastian, who was the oldest, started coughing. Even so, he stubbornly crawled down to see if his young mistress was alright.

"Merde! I cannot believe all this….." Sebastian's glasses were broken, yet he didn't give a rat's behind about it. "Madame Lili! Are you alright!? Réponds-moi!" he called out to her in French as he was crawling.

Lili grabbed the hands of Sebastian, and he immediately began pulling her out. From what he could tell, she didn't suffer any critical injuries, much to the butler's relief.

"Dieu merci! You are still alive and breathing! I cannot imagine what your dear father would have felt if I had to tell him the grim news" Sebastian told Lili while holding onto her shoulders.

Lili shrugged off his hands and looked to see Asuka and Xiaoyu crawling out of the limo. Once they were gone, it was Ganryu and Bob's turns. But they were too round to crawl out of the windows. There had to be some way to get them out.

"You guys stay back! We'll try to pull off these doors!" Lili told them and she looked at her butler. "Sebastian, help me and the others in getting off these doors! Those two are too big to fit through the windows!" she commanded him, to which he responded without hesitation.

Steve began helping pulling out one of these doors, with Xiaoyu and Asuka soon joining him. "SHIT! THESE DOORS WON'T GO OFF!" he cursed, as Steve was feeling pain in his hands.

"JUST TRY HARDER!" Asuka urged him.

In the end, they succeeded in getting the doors off. Bob and Ganryu managed to crawl out, the two men catching their breaths while being bruised all over their fat bodies.

The group moved away from the wreckage and took sat on the ground to recover their strengths.

"Damnit! Just what the hell happened!? First we get chased by a yellow monster truck! And now, we almost got ourselves crushed by a red monster truck trying hop on us!" Bob expressed his fears and outraged, coughing as he was talking so loudly.

"Save your words. There's no need to waste them with rage" Ganryu encouraged him.

Xiaoyu had managed to calm herself, the Chinese girl already feeling slightly traumatized at the moment. "I honestly thought we were gonna die just now…yet we're still alive…" she tried her best to hold back her tears.

"Thank God we are…I just can't understand how this can happen to us all of a sudden!" Hwoarang uttered out angrily.

Feeling somewhat guilty for causing such distress to them, Sebastian couldn't help but to lower his head in shame. Lili and the others glanced at him confused. "I apologize for my foolish choice of getting us away. It almost cost your lives. For that, I am humbly sorry" the butler told them, feeling slightly ashamed.

"Don't say that! It's not your fault!" Michelle interjected his apology. "If you hadn't taken that risk…we probably wouldn't be alive right now" the Native American woman pointed out to him.

Lili nodded her head weakly in agreement. "She's right. There's no need to shoulder this burden by yourself, Sebastian! None of us are faulting you…...even me. So please…let us help you through this pain" she told him.

Sebastian was stunned to hear this coming from Lili. In fact, he had never seen this side of his young mistress before. But then again, the butler wasn't necessarily surprised. Despite being a rich girl, Lili didn't fit into the category of those being most snobbish of them all. Indeed, she could show compassion at times.

"Well...at this rate, I don't know whether we should continue towards Kyoto or go to the nearest hospital. In my opinion, the latter may be the best solution" Steve spoke up, still feeling the pain within him.

Julia stroke her brown hair. "Good idea. But where is the nearest hospital?" she asked before looking at Ganryu and Asuka. "Do you guys know of any nearby town?" she asked them.

"Heck if I know. I'm from Osaka. But that's a LONG walk from here" Asuka replied.

"There is still a long way to Nakatsugawa. But its even longer to Kyoto. We haven't even reached Nagoya yet" Ganryu joined in on the conversation.

"FUCK! IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE CURRENTLY STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE!" Hwoarang threw a fit of rage. "GODDAMNIT! IF ONLY I HAD MY MOTORCYCLE!" he continued with his rant.

"Just give it up, Howarang! You won't get anywhere by throwing a tantrum!" Xiaoyu berated the Korean man, yet he was not listening to her.

"Alright! Break it up! Let's have a discussion on how to get to the bottom of this!" Michelle encouraged everyone to listen. "It appears that we'll have to find a way in order to get ourselves treated. No way we can continue towards Kyoto in this condition" she then suggested they find a hospital.

But in the minute Michelle was telling them this, they could hear the sound of loud motors coming towards them. As it got closer, the group of fighters stood their guard. From the hilltop, two large monster trucks emerged and landed not far from their location. Everyone in the group felt anxious and distressed by seeing them arrive.

"Son of a bitch!" Bob cursed out of frustration.

"Just what do these guys want with us!?" Asuka demanded while clenching her gloved fists.

At this rate, it was pointless for the group to run from their pursuers. They were piloting powerful mechanical monsters that could quickly catch up to them. However, the doors of the monster trucks opened and four people revealed themselves in front of the group. This enabled the group to see who were piloting the red monster truck.

"I don't believe it! It's you!" Michelle gasped in seeing Armor King being among those pursuers.

"I believe King told you that this one is a different Armor King, right?" Julia asked her mother, who immediately nodded her head at her in return. "Good. I'm sure you're still struggling to come to terms with the fact that…..you know" she began explaining.

"It's okay. King told me everything" Michelle assured her adoptive daughter.

Asuka's eyes widened with both shock and anger in seeing Feng Wei standing there. It filled her with nothing but open contempt. "YOU!" the Japanese girl snapped, pointing a finger at the Chinese Kenpo master. "You're that Chinese brute who hospitalized my dad and almost ruined his dojo's reputation! What the hell are you doing here!?" she demanded an answer out of him.

However, Feng only glanced at Asuka with nonchalant eyes, as if he didn't care about her emotions. "You again? You really are a nuisance" he coldly told her, much to the young girl's rage.

"You haven't answered my question! Just what are you…" Asuka was interrupted by the voice of Bryan.

"Shut your trap, loudmouth! Your voice is so annoying as hell that it hurts my ears!" the cyborg rudely told her. But he had to look at all the fighters that stood before him and his cohorts. "But then again, this is indeed an interesting bunch we've caught, isn't it, boys?" he remarked, a grin slowly creeping on his face.

"Hmph. They are nothing but a group of imbeciles. Hardly the fighters that intrigue me" Armor King replied to Bryan's statement.

Hwoarang, Steve and Bob couldn't stand being badmouthed with such level of disrespect. Therefore, they took several steps forward.

"You better take back what you just said, luchador-freak! Otherwise, I'll be more than happy to kick that mask off for ya!" the Korean man warned him.

Armor King glanced at him specifically. "Bite your tongue, or I will break your legs!" he responded ruthlessly, showing no remorse for the language he was using.

"Now spit it out, all of you! Who hired you to go after us!? The Mishima Zaibatsu!? The G Corp!? Tell us before I punch you till your toothless!" Steve wanted some answers, feeling more than willing to attack any of these fighters.

Bryan could understand what Steve's fighting style was, given that the British man was even doing its fighting stance. "You plan on beating us with Boxing? Tch, what a joke!" he said and did a mocking punch with his fists. "Why don't you try it on me? My Kickboxing will prove to you how I'm better!" he taunted Steve, who felt slightly enraged in hearing this.

"You haven't answered his question! Who do you work for!?" Bob spoke up.

"They are not working for me, my plumb friend" Bob and the others looked to see someone approach from behind the two monster trucks. It was two people. The first one was the exorcist from the Archers of Sirius: Claudio Serafino. The woman with him was the masked kunoichi named Kunimitsu. The slick-haired man appeared beside his cohorts. "We have come to a mutual understanding that if they can assist me with my goals, I can assist them with theirs. All of us are making a compromise" Claudio added to his explanation.

Xiaoyu's eyes widened. She remembered seeing that man once. It was when she and Jin tried to rescue Angel from captivity. He had intervened to stop Jin from doing that. But now, he was here in one of Japan's rural areas. The Chinese girl was confused at the moment.

But he was not the only one who was a recognizable face to someone. Michelle couldn't believe in seeing Kunimitsu standing there. Despite wearing a different mask, Michelle could tell that it was her.

"It's you…you're that thief who tried to steal my pendant during the first tournament….Kunimitsu" the Native American woman uttered out the woman's name.

In response, Kunimitsu smirked at her. "What a coincidence seeing you here, Michelle Chang. I heard that you somewhat failed to safeguard that pendant of yours from Heihachi Mishima" the redhead started to insult her by bringing up the past.

Hearing this made Michelle scowl. "You got some nerves saying that to the one who beat you in the tournament! If you wanna have a rematch with me, then I'll be more than happy to oblige!" she hit back, even standing in her fighting stance.

"Tempting, but no. In these times, you are the least of my concerns. Your tribe has nothing worthy of taking" Kunimitsu responded, much to the outrage of Michelle.

Claudio stepped before his cohorts. "Let us move over to more pressing matters. I understand that you may be curious to know my motives for pursuing you. You see, I am actually on a demon hunt, right now" the exorcist told them smugly.

Most of the group before him became confused. "A demon hunt? What are you babbling about?" Ganryu wondered aloud.

"Yeah, your reason doesn't make any sense" Lili joined in.

"There's no need to feign ignorance, signorina. I know what you are doing. All of you are trying to find someone important. What a coincidence, we are also doing that. I believe you know the name of that person…..Jin Kazama" Claudio cunningly told them.

The eyes to some of the fighters all widened in disbelief. For some reason, Claudio was looking for Jin as well. But what was his reasons for doing that? Xiaoyu, who already felt herself getting on the defensive, decided to find out more.

"What does that matter to you? We don't know where Jin even is, let alone where we will find him!" the Chinese girl stepped up her verbal assault.

Claudio fixed his eyes upon her, his smirk never leaving. "I already know that. Which is why I will use bait to lure him out of hiding" he then revealed to the group.

"Bait? What bait?" Steve questioned him warily.

In response, Claudio began pointing a finger at the group as a while. "Why, with persons of interest, that is. Ling Xiaoyu. Asuka Kazama. Hwoarang. Will each of you be so kind and to come with us? I assure you, we mean you no harm in any way" he then told the names of the persons he was interested in, much to the utter disbelief of those three fighters.

 _To be continued…_


	22. The Phony Victory

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: The Phony Victory**

 _Inside Violet Systems HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

Ever since they fled from the pursuing Tekken Force, Lee Chaolan, Lars Alexandersson, Lei Wulong, Alisa Bosconovitch and the two agents Master Raven and Raven had stayed inside the HQ of Violet Systems. With the support of the squadron of Tekken Force rebels called Yggdrasil, they were bound to be safe in the imposing skyscraper. It would also give them the opportunity to plan their next move. But that was not all.

Jin Kazama was still in a coma, yet he was recovering inside a medical facilitation room. Being inside there and fully protected by some soldiers, Jin could gather his strength in peace. But when the young man would finally awake, was yet to be determined. Still, Violet System's medics did all they could to make sure he was being kept safely.

But although they hadn't been pursued lately, Lee, Lars and their allies still kept updated on the news inside and outside Japan. Like most people, they had been stunned when they heard the announcement of Heihachi's supposed death, as well as the cancellation of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. Even so, they knew that Heihachi was up to something. And their assumptions turned out to be correct.

Now, they were watching the breaking news that was declaring how the reports of Heihachi being dead were all false. At the same time, the Zaibatsu was blaming their opponents for it. They even accused them of hacking into the Zaibatsu's database. Still, none of the fighters believed in what the spokesman was telling.

"My, this is way out of hand. Then again, such is to be expected from THE Heihachi Mishima. Still as cunning as he's always been" Lee commented as the news were on a giant screen hanging in one of the HQ's many hallways.

"But why is he doing that? Why is Heihachi telling the whole world about lies and alternative facts?" Alisa questioned her friends and allies.

Lars' eyes narrowed on the screen. "It may be too early to find the answer, Alisa. But from what I can tell, he must be planning his move. Most likely against the G Corp" the Swedish man responded, stating his opinion on the matter.

"Tch, damnit. How long must the world continue to fall for Heihachi's lies and deceits? Not that Kazuya's anything better. They're both two sides of the same rotten coin" Lei spoke up, the police officer feeling very agitated when seeing how Heihachi had managed to fool the entire world.

"Be it as it may be, it's obvious that Heihachi is doing all these shenanigans in order to outmaneuver Kazuya. Don't forget, there is still an ongoing war taking place throughout the world" Master Raven informed everyone.

Raven nodded his head in agreement. "Indeed. According to our higherups back at HQ, the ongoing war has taken a deadly toll upon people across the globe. Europe, North America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia are among the places of the harshest battlefields. We've yet to confirm the casualties" the agent explained some details about the ongoing conflict around the world.

"Goodness. This is terrible. How long will innocents continue to suffer?" Lee expressed his disgust with so many civilian lives lost in those battles.

But the giant screen now began showing what appeared to be a musical commercial. It caught everyone's attention. However, Lei seemed to be the one most enthusiastic about who it was that was dancing in the commercial. It was none other than the pop idol herself: Lucky Chloe. She was seen smiling while doing her trademark pos, not to mention doing some of her acrobatic moves which was surprising for a cosplayer such as herself.

" _Hiiiiiiiiiii! I'm Luckyyyyyyyyyy Chloeeeee! Are you readyyyyyy!? Well, I am! So welcome to my exclusive and never-ending partyyyyyyy!_ "

Chloe kept showing some of her dance moves. But while none of the fighters who were watching did the same as her, Lei actually did it. They all glanced at him with raised eyebrows in seeing Lei trying to copy some of the teenage girl's dance moves. And not only that, he even did her trademark pose.

"Umm…...what are you doing?" Lars asked the police officer.

Lei stopped dancing and looked at him. "What? Don't you know who that is? It's Lucky Chloe! She's the new Internet-sensation! I mean, she recently won an international singing competition. Currently, one of her hits tops the charts" the Chinese man told them, still listening to the beat of the music.

"Right…" Lee spoke up, somehow dumbfounded by what Lei was doing.

"This type of music. I understand it's the one from Japan called J-pop. And more importantly, that girl seems to be dressing like a cat. An interesting choice of attire, I must say" Alisa commented on what she was seeing on the screen.

Lars didn't know how to put this. "Somehow, I don't understand how she can maintain such a huge fanbase on the Internet. As I've seen Swedish netizens write on her videos: Hon är bara jätte tråkig och löjligt" he then spoke in Swedish at the end of his sentence.

Lee glanced at Lars with a raised eyebrow. "Were you speaking Swedish just now?" the white-haired man asked his adopted half-brother. "Well, I must say that your Swedish breaks the typical stereotype most foreigners have towards Swedes" the CEO of Violet Systems explained.

"What sort of stereotypes?" Alisa asked, curious to know what Lee was talking about.

Lars groaned in irritation with what Lee was saying. "Fan också…" he cursed in Swedish.

"A common misconception is that the Swedish people are silly bakers and chefs. But that's something you only see on television and cartoons. Or is it true that they are such, Lars?" Lee faced the Swedish man, who simply rolled his eyes in return.

"Är du dum i huvudet eller? Allt detta är bara skit! Svenskarna är inte så!" Lars spoke up in Swedish once again, only to look at Lei, who was still facing and dancing after Chloe. "But let's not talk about me! I'm not the one doing anything out of the ordinary. He's the one who dances to this nonsense" the former member of the Tekken Force managed to divert attention back to Lei.

Neither Master Raven nor Raven were pleased with what they saw Lei doing. "Detective Lei, you do realize who that girl really is, correct? She is currently employed as the G Corporation's poster girl. You might wanna have that in the back of your head while you listen to her music" the black-skinned woman sternly reminded Leo.

Lei responded by simply scoffing at her words. "Her, working for Kazuya? Yeah right" he replied back, directing his attention towards Chloe on the screen. "Don't get me wrong, I do know that she always appears in the commercials involving the G Corp's products. But I simply can't imagine someone as bright and cheerful as Lucky Chloe becoming one of Kazuya Mishima's associates. I mean, come on! She's not Bruce Irvin or Anna Williams! Plus, why in the world would Kazuya let a young girl into his inner circle?" Lei added to his explanation, doubting Master Raven's claims.

Raven shook his head slightly in disapproval. "It's no wonder Interpol's so screwed up if there are cops like him in their fold" he thought, unable to grasp Lei's obsession with Chloe.

Alisa smiled at Lei. "Well, everyone has their own tastes. Aren't this what people usually say?" she asked him.

"Sort of. Although it may depend on what you're talking about, Alisa" Lars interjected, not wanting Lei to come up with another ridiculous answer of his. The Swedish man then faced the entire group as of whole. "Listen. If Heihachi has indeed cancelled the tournament, then that means it's contestants will have no reason to stay in it" he pointed out to everyone.

"Precisely. Which means that we could potentially get some new allies to help us against our foes. And we know one who certainly will: Wang Jinrei. I take it he has already made his journey towards Kyoto as of now" Lee joined in on the conversation.

Lei was surprised and stunned at the same time. "But at that age, how in the world is he able to even make a journey to Kyoto? While there is the shinkansen, Master Wang's body is getting frailer by each passing day…" he began feeling worried about the elderly man, knowing how he didn't have many days left.

"I believe that he must have a good reason for doing this, especially since he wrote a letter to both you and Lee. He trusts the two of you very much" Raven remarked while facing both Lei and Lee.

"Then we best wait here and see if Wang himself will come here. But remember, we need to be patient" Master Raven suggested to her allies.

As they were in their discussion and thinking about what their next move would be, the giant screen hanging above them began changing. Once again, it was breaking news. This time, however, it was not about Heihachi. Rather, it centered around Kazuya, more specifically his current battle against Revenant on the Millennium Tower. What made the report more disturbing was the fact that Kazuya was currently in this Devil form.

" _We have currently received this shocking announcement! It appears that the man who currently leads the G Corporation is none other than Kazuya Mishima, Heihachi's son. This man, who currently has an arrest warrant hanging over him by the ICC, has been spotted fighting at the G Corp's Millennium Tower in this demonic form. The true face of the conglomerate has now been revealed! What will be the next phase of this chaotic war?_ "

Now, everyone was starting to realize what was really happening. They had even begun puzzling the picture together. As such, they knew who was behind this broadcasting of Kazuya's fight.

"I think I now see the point of all this. Heihachi faked his death, waited for Kazuya to show his true form, and is now broadcasting it for entire world to see" Lars remarked in what he had discovered.

Alisa was also getting the picture. "And now that the world knows who Kazuya truly is, it's likely to get the world community to disown him as their designated hero. But that means the Mishima Zaibatsu will be named the heroes, won't they?" the pinkette said while trying to ponder the idea.

"You're correct, Alisa. And that's exactly what Heihachi wants. And I have this feeling in my gut telling me that the old man himself has a plan in order to finish off Kazuya" Lee noted as he glanced the screen. His eyes narrowed slightly. "But I can't quite grasp how he plans on proceeding with it" the business tycoon then said with suspicion.

Master Raven had already taken notice of his thinking. "And what do you suppose it could be, Lee Chaolan?" she questioned him.

So far, Lee was in deep thought. Then again, he was not the only one doing that. Lars and Lei were also trying to figure it out. This only lead Alisa and the two agents to try and come up with an answer.

But as the group tried to come to a solution, something dramatic happened on the screen. To everyone's astonishment, a bright beam of laser landed straight on the G Corp's Millennium Tower. It came straight from the sky. When the laser beam hit the tower, the entire building crumbled into dust. And not only that, the nearby urban area also succumbed to the explosion, thus rendering them to nothing but ruins with shattered windows.

"WOAH! W-WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPANED!?" Lei exclaimed out in shock and anger at the same time.

"The Millennium Tower…...got struck by a laser beam…" Master Raven was also in disbelief to what she saw on the screen.

"It looks like it came from the sky…but who fired it?" Raven spoke up his opinion on the matter.

Lee switched the screen off, motioning for his friends and allies to come after him. They did so without hesitation. "Come with me to Violet System's research room! We need to find out what really happened just now! Somehow, I think Heihachi must be control of a weapon of mass destruction. We must find out what it is. If not…then we may be his next targets" he told them as they ran for the research facility, hoping to meet with the scientists that were working there. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

 _Inside a telephone booth in Osaka, Kansai, Japan_

Inside Japan's third largest city, someone was standing in a telephone booth as people walked past him. It was King, the Mexican wrestler with the spirit of two champions. When the shinkansen had reached Osaka, King had hopped off, but not before bidding farewell to Wang Jinrei. Privately, King knew that they would meet again someday and he looked forward to it. But right now, he had to do something important.

After walking in the busy streets of Osaka, King eventually managed to find himself an empty telephone booth for him to use. It had taken some time to find one, given that most telephone booths had been converted into aquariums. Only a few of them remained in the city. Regardless, King decided to make contact with his best friend: Craig Marduk.

Before he had entered the tournament, King had visited Marduk in a hospital in Mexico. The wrestler had been expecting the Vale Tudo fighter to be still there. But once he called, King was given a bombshell.

"What do you mean you're no longer in Hermosillo!? You said you were transferred to a hospital in Seoul, South Korea?" the luchador loudly asked Marduk on the telephone. "And not only that, someone has actually paid your medical bills!?" King had problems with coming to terms with it.

A deep chuckle could be heard in the telephone and it came from none other than Marduk himself. From what King could tell, he was in a good mood, not to mention healed of any injuries.

" _You heard me right, pal! While you were gone, two Korean guys sought my help given that I had been in the tournament before. Besides, I was one of the few fighters available, given that the rest of you guys were in Japan. So I was transferred to a hospital in Seoul, where they had high-quality medical experts. Now I'm completely fine!_ " Marduk could be heard boasting himself proudly, as he always liked to.

Still, King was very uncertain about what his best friend had been through. "But something doesn't make any sense here, Marduk. Who are these two Koreans you speak of? And why do they need your help?" the masked man wanted some answers.

" _I told ya, they're planning on coming to Japan in hopes of doing somethin' about all this chaos that's been happening in the world lately. And they also said they wanted to rescue someone. I don't know who that is...but who cares!? Thanks to them, you don't have to worry about paying my medical expenses, King! That means I can come to Japan and join you!_ " Marduk responded to King's question, trying to ease his best friend's worries.

As much as King wanted to argue with Marduk, he couldn't help but to realize how his best friend had a point. Given that someone had been generous enough to pay off Marduk's medical bills, King could finally shift focus to his orphanage in Mexico. That place was his predecessor's legacy, and he would never let it be ruined by a mere war.

"Dios mío…." King groaned slightly before continuing on with the conversation. "Very well. But please just tell me who these people are, amigo. I've just can't take much more stress upon my shoulders" he then requested, almost starting to lean against the window.

" _Believe it or not, those Koreans are actually a pair of Taekwondo fighters! The first one is a middle-aged dude called…I think it was Baek Doo San or something. Anyway, that guy's loaded and he's the owner of a dojo in Seoul_ " Marduk began explaining the identities of these individuals. " _But the other one…...boy is she a hottie! I mean, not only is that lady a fighter! She's also a doctor, a professor or whatever kind of job that makes her dress so fancy. Her name's Shuwawei and I'll tell ya, King: that girl's hot as hell! Woohoo!_ " the Australian man then began talking about the other person, who seemed to be a woman.

Hearing this made King confused. "You're not seriously hitting on her, are you?" the luchador asked Marduk, yet he could tell that it was true by hearing the excitement coming from Marduk. "Por favor! How can you have the hots for someone you barley even know!?" he wanted to know from his best friend.

" _But she's such a lovely lady, amigo! Trust me, you'll see what I mean when you get to meet her_ " Marduk spoke up, thus making King astonished. The Vale Tudo fighter could hear this and decided to continue. " _That's right! I'm currently at Incheon International Airport, joining those two Koreans. We'll be flying to Osaka soon!_ " he then revealed to his best friend.

"You can't be serious! Why are you coming over here!? It's too dangerous for you to be in Japan, Marduk! I beg of you! Don't come here and get yourself injured! There's no telling what…." King was about to explain his reservations for having Marduk coming over to Japan, only to have his best friend interrupting him.

" _Woah! Look at the time! I best be going now! The boarding of the plane has begun now! Talk to you later, King!_ " those were the final words Marduk told King before he hung up.

"Wait, hold on…" King was too late, as he heard nothing from Marduk. Sighing, the luchador let go of the telephone and lowered his head slightly. It was apparent that King was a little bit distressed, despite the fact that he was glad to know that his best friend would be coming towards him. "Mierda! Things have completely gone the way I didn't foresee…" he lamented, still hanging his head.

Realizing it was fruitless to call him back, King exited the telephone booth and proceeded to join the crowd of people walking in the streets of Osaka. What he would do now, was yet to be determined. But if Marduk was to arrive in Osaka, then he could travel to the airport in order to meet up with him. And then he would also get to see why this Baek Doo San would be willing to pay Marduk's medical expenses. Regardless of his feelings, King felt relieved to know that his best friend was doing okay. But a part of him feared what would happen once Armor King had taken notice of Marduk arriving in Japan. The Mexican man didn't want to reexperience the same episode that took place between those two men.

* * *

 _In the hills of Kamida, Gifu, Japan_

The group that had been travelling the Chuo Expressway in a black Cadillac XTS Limousine were now up against a great obstacle. Having narrowly surived getting crushed beneath two monster trucks, the group found themselves threatened by the alliance of fighters called L'ordine. The Italian exorcist named Claudio Serafino had been hunting Jin Kazama. A reason for why he and his allies had followed the limo was due to several persons of interest that could perhaps be beneficial to his hunt.

And right now, Claudio called up the names of those he was looking for: Ling Xiaoyu, Asuka Kazama and Hwoarang. It became clear that the reason for this chase was all because of reaching those three.

The slick-haired man smirked as he specifically faced the three people he mentioned. "Allow me to repeat what I just said. I simply want the three of you to come with us peacefully. To my understanding, each of you have some form of connection with Jin Kazama. Those alone are proof that you are persons of interest. You could be useful in my hunt for that devil" the Italian man went on explaining the characteristics he knew about them all.

Hwoarang, Xiaoyu and Asuka were all surprised, yet they could somehow understand why Claudio was after them. Apparently, he knew that they each in terms of dealings with Jin Kazama.

Stepping forward, Hwoarang cracked his knuckles and glared at the group with hostility. "I don't know why you guys are that desperate in getting Jin, but I don't give a crap about it! I'm the one who's gonna catch Jin and beat him up! And I sure as hell don't plan on sharing my prey with the likes of you! So take a hike, asswipes!" the Korean man snapped furiously, pointing a finger at Claudio.

The exorcist only stared at him bewildered. "You, defeating Jin Kazama? Ridicolo!" he remarked in Italian, doubting Hwoarang's claim. Claudio then focused his attention on Xiaoyu and Asuka. "From where I stand, none of you three are hardly in any position to stand against him. Only the best may have that honor. Now do the right thing and become my allies" he told them.

"If you think that I will let you use me to lure out Jin, then you are all wrong! Only in your wildest dreams would I sell him out!" Xiaoyu suddenly spoke up, glaring the enemies before her. "That said, I dare you to come and catch me! But be warned, I won't submit so easily! Especially without a fight!" the Chinese girl then stood in her fighting stance. Now she was daring her foes to come at her.

"Me too!" Asuka suddenly spoke up, much to the surprise of Xiaoyu. "I also don't wanna be someone's bait! And my hunt for Jin is my business alone!" the Japanese girl said, much to the irritation of Xiaoyu, who then realized they had different goals when it came to Jin. Asuka remained passionate in facing the enemies. "So I suggest you guys back off before I let serve each of you a knucklesandwich!" the young girl then warned the group of adversaries.

Bryan snorted with what he was seeing. "All this talk is goddamn pointless! I say we just go all out on these punks if they don't wanna come with us" he suggested what to do, given that wasting time with words was wearing him down.

"I support his suggestion" Feng spoke up, his eyes facing Asuka specifically. But he was also facing the entire group as a whole. "If these brats wish to defy us, then we should be more than happy to humble them. Let us break their fighting spirits" he said while facing the team, causing Asuka to grit her teeth in rage. Her animosity towards the Chinese man was starting to build up.

"Why you sanctimonious, son of a…" Asuka was interrupted when Lili suddenly stood in her way, even blocking her path with an arm. Asuka couldn't believe her own eyes. "Hey! What's the big idea!? Move it, Lili!" she demanded an answer from the blondie.

Lili looked over her shoulder to face her rival with a smug expression. "Asuka Kazama. As much as I would've liked to hand you over to these thugs, it's much preferable to keep you on my side. After all, I don't wish to lose my chance for our rematch. But enough of that, I want you, Ling Xiaoyu and Hwoarang to get out of this place as quick as you can" she told her, slightly being more serious at the end of her sentence.

Asuka was stunned. "What…I don't understand what you're…..." the brunette mumbled while feeling confused.

"Hold on just a damn minute! Are you saying that you want us to just…" Hwoarang was interrupted when both Steve and Bob appeared in front of the Korean man. They readied their fighting stances while facing their foes. "Don't tell me that…..." he too was confused.

Steve looked over his shoulder to face Hwoarang. "You heard her, mate. The three of you better get out of here now! Leave these wankers to us!" the British boxer told Hwoarang, who was surprised to hear this.

Xiaoyu could then see both Julia and Michelle standing before her. The girl with the pigtails realized what they were planning on doing. Julia looked over her shoulder to face Xiaoyu with a reassuring nod.

"All of you three better do as Lili suggests! We'll handle these guys! Now go!" Julia told Xiaoyu, although she was also saying this to Asuka and Hwoarang.

The three fighters were at this rate unsure of what to do. But looking in how these people were willing to prevent Claudio and his allies from getting their hands on them somewhat encouraged them to run off. Without delay, Hwoarang, Xiaoyu and Asuka ran into the nearby forest.

Kunimitsu quickly began moving, in hopes of getting after them. "You're not getting away from me so easily!" the kunoichi bellowed, only to have Michelle blocking her path before she could even perform her ninjutsu. As a result, the two women clashed. "Tch…annoying pest!" she insulted Michelle with resentment.

Still, Michelle didn't back down from the fight, trying to force Kunimitsu down to the ground. But the kunoichi caught wind of her move and jumped backwards in order to dodge the attack. The Native American woman readied her fighting stance.

"It seems to me that you haven't given up on your dishonorable ways as a thief. Why don't you allow me to beat out some honesty into you? That outta give you a reality check!" Michelle dared her opponent.

Scowling her crimson lips in hearing those words, Kunimitsu charged towards the Native American woman with seething anger directed towards her. "I will tear out your tongue!" she yelled at her opponent.

Meanwhile, Julia was confronting Armor King, the two trying to overpower the other. But on the other hand, the brunette knew the story of this masked luchador, let alone heard about his actions against the G Corporation. Therefore, she tried to reason with him.

"I know who you really are. King told me of your motives. And I tell you now: give up this meaningless quest for vengeance! It's not worth it!" Julia spoke up, only to feel a kick landing straight into her stomach, thus sending her flying. Fortunately, she managed to land on her feet.

Even though Julia couldn't see through his mask, she could tell that Armor King was furious with what she had just said to him based upon the kick. "Do not play upon my feelings, girl! What I want is my business alone! You are a fool for believing everything King tells you!" the man wearing the black jaguar mask berated her.

Julia got up on her feet, wiping off the blood that had appeared on her lips in wake of her opponent's kick. "You're not the only one who has felt the desire to avenge someone! King was in your shoes once. But he managed to overcome it! Don't you have some dignity left in you!?" she then asked him, this time being more serious than usual.

In response, Armor King charged towards the young girl. The masked luchador was prepared to go all out on her with his aggressiveness. "I WILL SILENCE YOU FOR GOOD! PREPARE FOR UNRELENTING PAIN, SEÑORITA!" he yelled at her before proceeding to launch his attack upon her.

But Julia remained firm, and proceeded to charge towards Armor King. "I'm not afraid of you!" she retorted back, preparing for her toughest battle yet.

Bob and Bryan were no facing each other off, the two remembering how their fight had been postponed on the containership during the tournament. Now, they could continue were they left off, something which Bryan seemed to take pleasure in.

"Finally! We can continue where we left off! And this time, I will tear your body to pieces!" Bryan succumbed to his bloodlust.

Despite seeing it, Bob didn't fear Bryan's attitude. He only faced his psychotic opponent with a brave expression. "Oh yeah? Well, you've no idea how I've wanted this fight, especially after you tried to run me and my friends over with a monster truck!" he said while doing his fighting pose. "I hope you're ready! Because I sure as hell am!" he taunted Bryan.

In response, the cyborg charged towards Bob, preparing to land some kicks upon his foe. "JUST SHUT UP AND FIGHT, FATASS!" Bryan exclaimed.

Ganryu was up against Feng. Although he could see how tough and serious the Chinese Kenpo master was, Ganryu still didn't want to back down. No, he would stand and face his opponent, like any Sumo wrestler would. The Japanese man made some preparations while facing Feng.

"I will be your opponent!" Ganryu firmly spoke up, narrowing his eyes in the process.

Feng had to admit he was amused with this challenge. He remembered how he and Ganryu had cooperated with each other in the past in order to capture Jin. "I am being challenged by you? This should be interesting. I have never fought a Sumo wrestler before" he remarked before performing some of his Kenpo moves. "Very well. I accept your challenge, Ganryu. But do not disappoint me!" the Chinese man added to his slight excitement.

Ganryu grunted in reply. "I will show you the true strength of a Yokozuna! Let us hope our ancestors are watching us as we clash on these fields!" the middle-aged man spoke up.

Feng smiled smugly in return. "Oh, they will be. Prepare yourself!" he replied and the two men clashed.

Steve was up against Dragunov, the Russian man as silent as he kept glancing at Steve with a bored expression. The British boxer could tell that he was not amused by fighting him. As such, Steve felt disrespected by Dragunov's attitude.

"Why are you giving me that sour look? Is it because you don't consider me a worthy opponent?" Steve asked him. But he responded by doing some air punches towards him. "Well if that's the case, then I might as well not hold back on you! Come on then, tosser!" the blonde-haired man taunted the soldier.

Dragunov felt annoyed by Steve's cockiness. Therefore, he decided to respond in kind. He stood in his fighting position, facing Steve with cold and calculating eyes. From what Steve could tell, Dragunov was willing to make this fight over quickly. But the boxer had managed to find out the kind of fighting style Dragunov was using.

"I see. So he's an expert in Sambo? This could get tricky. I've never fought guys like him before" Steve noted, wondering if fighting Dragunov could prove to be challenging. But he looked at his arms beneath his sleeves, thinking about this hidden power he had unlocked. "Regardless, it would be unfair to go easy on him.

Lili, always the one to take on new challenges, confronted Claudio. As they faced each other, the exorcist couldn't help but to notice something strange about the blondie. Soon, he got a clue of who Lili was.

"I knew I recognized that face before. You are Emilie De Rochefort, the family heir and the oil baron's daughter. There was something about you that I knew was familiar" Claudio remarked in slight surprise with what he was seeing. "But why…...why are you aiding those people? Have you become an accomplice of that demon?" the exorcist then asked her.

"I'm honored that you know of my family, Claudio Serafino. But apparently you misunderstand my motives for letting Asuka Kazama and the two others go" Lili said and even stood in her fighting stance. "She is not your toy to play with! I have some unfinished business left with that relative of hers. Therefore, she along with Hwoarang and Xiaoyu are mine to use in tracking down Jin's location!" the blondie added to her statement.

Claudio narrowed his eyes at her. "You are foolish to battle me, signorina. Have you Rocheforts forgotten the debt you owe to the Archers of Sirius? We helped you in the past and as a payment, your family was to remain loyal to us as members of our order. As such, you are bound to actually assist me with hunting down Jin Kazama" he sternly informed her.

Even so, Lili refused to give into him. "That agreement only happened between you and my father. Therefore, I'm not bound by it" she hit back, yet soon found herself curving her lips into a smile. "Besides, this so-called assistance you exorcists did for us didn't actually solve our problem. Oh no, that seal you made beneath our mansion failed miserably" she smugly told the exorcist.

Claudio faced Lili warily. "You are suggesting that the seal has been broken? Ragazza sciocca!" the Italian man rebuked the little girl, starting to take several steps towards her. "That vampire will never be able to see the light of the day ever again. Your assumptions must be your own delusions" he then pointed out.

"I think not, Monsieur Exorciste. You and your followers may have been able to fool my father, but you will not do the same thing with me" Lili reprimanded Claudio, and evens stood in her fighting stance. "And I will have you know that I've slowly started to figure out the identity of this vampire you and my father sealed. One way or another, you will tell me whether it's true…true that this vampire you sealed beneath my family's mansion….is none other than my long lost sister!" the young girl added to her determination.

Claudio's eyes widened. He had not been expecting someone so snobbish as Lili to possess much knowledge about him and the deed the Archers of Sirius had done for the Rochefort family in the past. Still, he was starting to think of Lili as a headache and wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.

"It is a shame that you have chosen to side with the devil instead of helping your fellow exorcists, Emilie De Rochefort. Therefore, it will be my job to punish you for your insolence" Claudio responded, his mysterious powers starting to activate. As such, his left eye changed and some black markings appeared around it. "Now then. It is time to teach you the important lesson of humility. Osserva!" he told her as bright light began appearing on his right arm.

Lili's eyes widened in shock. She had never seen power like this before. But then again, the young girl had never expected an exorcist to possess such. "This Claudio Serafino…...what is he really?" Lili wondered, yet charged before she even got lost in her thinking.

And thus, the battle was on. Despite Lili and her allies having barely survived rolling the hills in the limousine, they still had enough strength to defend themselves. But how was that going to help Hwoarang, Asuka and Xiaoyu? Where would those three run off to? They were stuck in the middle of nowhere.

However, there was one member of the group who was hiding among the trees in hopes of not being spotted by L'ordine. It was Sebastian, Lili's personal butler. Since surviving the wreckage and being confronted by Claudio and his allies, the old man had hidden himself in the nearby forest, specifically behind the trees. Despite being in a critical condition, Sebastian still had enough strength to make a call to someone. But to whom?

"This better work…...now that the tournament is over….it will be worth the try to hire an assassin…especially someone who knows how to steal a vehicle" Sebastian said while tapping on his cellphone. "Pardonne-moi, Madame Lili. But this is the best solution I can come up with. I am doing this for your safety" he thought about his young mistress as he waited for someone to answer his call.

Surprisingly, the one he called answered. " _Hello? Who is this?_ " a very familiar woman's voice could be heard from Sebastian's cellphone.

"Salut! This is Sebastian from Rochefort Enterprises speaking" the butler responded.

" _I see. It's you? Took you long enough to decide. Do we have an agreement then, sir?_ " the woman sternly asked him.

Sebastian felt himself slightly distressed in hearing this, yet he pulled himself together. "Oui! You have my word! But right now, I ask that you come to Kamida with a vehicle that is big enough to take in Madame Lili and her friends! We are being attacked by a maddened exorcist and his accomplices!" the butler explained to this woman.

A sigh could be heard in the cellphone coming from this woman he was speaking with. " _Naturally. And don't worry. I'm already on the move towards your location. But you and your snotty mistress better hold on until I make it, understand?_ " she then revealed to him.

Hearing this made Sebastian smile. "Magnifique! Then we will be waiting for you patiently, Madame Nina Williams! Merci beaucoup!" the butler said, addressing the woman as none other than Nina herself. He was now hiring her to be some kind of bodyguard to Lili. For what reason, most likely due to the best interest of Lili's welfare.

" _Don't get all cozy with me! I'm not doing this to save your hides! I'm only doing this for the coins! Make sure you and Lili remember that fact_ " that was the last Nina said before she quit the conversation. Sebastian still sat against the tree, breathing a sigh of relief. While Lili would have scolded him to have taken such an independent action, the butler felt like this was the right thing to do in order to get themselves to safety. Looking beyond the tree, Sebastian tried to get look out for his young mistress.

"Madame Lili…...I hope you enjoy your match" the old man said, musing to himself in seeing how Lili was doing something that made her happy.

* * *

 _Not far from the fight, Old Nakasendo_

As their friends were actually willing to fight their pursuers, Hwoarang, Asuka and Xiaoyu had ran away from the battle. Running through woods, fields and roads, the trio now found themselves standing in a forest in Nakagire. They had been running for many minutes without even looking back. As such, they were tired and tried to catch their breaths.

"Oh my God…I haven't run this fast since my days in the South Korean military…but I think we're safe for now…." Hwoarang said while panting deeply between his sentences.

Asuka looked outside to watch as if there were nobody following them. "Well….no mean guys and no monster trucks in sight. That only confirms your assumption…at least" the brunette spoke up.

Xiaoyu, however, couldn't help but to think about the gang that had simply chosen to fight in order to let them escape. As such, shame began creeping in the young girl's thoughts. Both Hwoarang and Asuka could see that based upon her expression.

"I don't know, guys. What we're doing now…it just feels so…...wrong" Xiaoyu spoke up, facing the ground in the process. "They were willing to fight them in order for that exorcist and his cohorts to capture us…but they're probably also risking their lives in the process" she added to her statement.

Neither Hwoarang or Asuka seemed to grasp in what the girl with the pigtails were trying to say. But soon, Hwoarang managed to see the picture. "You know now that you mention it, it does seem wrong in some ways. Hell, I would've been more than happy to land my kicks on that smug Italian bastard's face" the Korean man admitted while thinking about Claudio.

"Even so, we still can't let Lili and the others down! They wanted us to get away as quick as possible, so we should continue moving on" Asuka spoke up with determination in her voice.

Hwoarang raised an eyebrow in return. "Okay, but there's an itsy-bitsy problem we're having: we don't know where the hell we are! As a matter of fact, I don't think this road here leads us to Kyoto, Osaka or whatever city you can name on the map!" he expressed his frustration over the situation.

Asuka rolled her eyes in hearing this. "Yeah, but we're most likely near a village, which means we can use a phone to call for help or probably find a bus stop or something!" the brunette pointed out on how to get out of this mess.

But while Hwoarang and Asuka were having this discussion, Xiaoyu couldn't believe in what she was hearing. Therefore, she confronted the Japanese girl. "You are such a selfish scumbag! How can you speak of getting of here when our friends are fighting to their deaths in order prevent us from getting captures!?" the Chinese girl demanded an answer out of her.

Asuka directed her angry gaze towards Xiaoyu in return. "It's what they wanted us to do, numbskull! They do this because they trust us! And frankly, you should feel grateful for what they are doing! After all, they could've simply given you to them since you are so desperate for Jin's attention!" she hit back at Xiaoyu.

The moment that name was brought up in the conversation, Xiaoyu's rage took control over her mind. As such, she nearly started to blackout. "YOU STUPID BIMBO!" she yelled and launched herself at Asuka.

But the Japanese girl only responded by getting equally aggressive with Xiaoyu. "I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS, BITCH!" Asuka yelled back.

The two girls were now engaged in a deadly catfight, which made Hwoarang completely stunned. Seeing how unhelpful this was, he decided to intervene, hoping to try separating the feuding girls from one another. But it was no use.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, GIRLS! WE'RE ON THE RUN FROM CAPTURERS! IS IT REALLY NECESSARY TO HAVE A….." Hwoarang stopped speaking when he could see the two girls rolling down a hill while fighting. They were actually rolling out of the forest and out on the road. This made Hwoarang hysterical. What if there was a car driving on that road? These assumptions made him worry. "Shit! This is worse than watching a catfight from WorldStarHipHop!" he thought and ran down the hill in order to see if the girls were okay.

Once he got down, he was shocked. Not that a car had hit the girls, because something else had happened with them. Apparently, they were surrounded by men dressed in white robes and bird-like masks. These were exorcists, more specifically members of the Archers of Sirius. They had their weapons pointed at Asuka and Xiaoyu. Both girls were confused and shocked at the same time.

"Put your hands in the air! Both of you!" one of the exorcists commanded them and the girls did so reluctantly.

Meanwhile, Hwoarang was stunned to what he was seeing. "Who are these guys!? Wait…don't tell me that they're with that exorcist guy from before!" the Taekwondo fighter was beginning to realize who these people were, considering that he noticed the similarities between the clothes these exorcists and Claudio wore. "Still, this is really bad! I gotta do something before they…" in the minute before he could ponder a plan on rescuing the girls, someone kicked Hwoarang from behind, this making him fall onto the asphalt.

Unbeknownst to him, two exorcists had snuck on Hwoarang from behind and managed to capture him as well. Asuka and Xiaoyu noticed this and became concerned.

"We found this scoundrel sneaking nearby" one of the exorcists informed their comrades.

"I see. He is also one of the persons of interest the young master wants. Good work, brothers and sisters" another one commended their efforts.

Hwoarang was brought up to Asuka and Xiaoyu, the Korean man spitting out some blood in the process. The trio were completely at the exorcists' mercy, all of them aiming their guns at their heads.

"Well crap…...so much for making an escape…..." Hwoarang muttered beneath his breath.

"We would've if it weren't for this stupid bonehead right here!" Asuka sneered while facing Xiaoyu, who scowled in return.

"Shut up, you tramp!" the Chinese girl hit back at the brunette.

One of the exorcists stepped forward and faced the trio down. "Well now, it would be best if we get the three of you back to the young master. He will have great need of your assistance in tracking down that foul devil Jin Kazama" he said, much to the resentment of Xiaoyu.

She really wanted to launch herself at that man, yet felt powerless given so many guns pointed at her, not to mention how her kafuffle with Asuka had drained her of energy. She felt herself getting hopeless at the moment. Her captivity was inevitable. Or was it?

The exorcists got cautious when they heard one of their own screaming in agony and falling onto the asphalt. He had something stuck on his back. It was a kunai. This forced all of them to stay on guard, given that someone had just attacked them.

"By the light of Sirius…who just threw that!?" an exorcist demanded, quickly turning his attention on the captives. "Is this one of your tricks!?" he then spat while pointing a gun at them.

"We didn't do it! Someone else did!" Hwoarang insisted to him.

Soon, another exorcist was injured, this time by ninja stars. The group of exorcists were feeling very suspicious of this area they were in. They couldn't even see the attack coming. But all that changed when a horde of ninjas suddenly emerged out of the nearby woods, each of them landing a blow upon the exorcists. One of them was suddenly confronted by a swordsman that was very recognizable for Xiaoyu.

"W-Who are you!?" the exorcist demanded to know, his voice trembling with fear.

It was Yoshimitsu. And those ninjas he was leading were members of the Manji Clan. The swordsman brandished his weapon, his gaze fixated upon the terrified exorcist. "Your punishment!" he spoke up before slashing the man.

Hwoarang, Asuka and Xiaoyu got up on their feet since most of the exorcists had been taken care off. None of them had expected Yoshimitsu to appear in rural areas of Japan. But then again, he was a ninja, and they mostly preferred the serenity nature instead of enormous cities.

"Man, that was close! I thought we were done for" Asuka spoke out in relief.

"Yeah, it's thanks to you that we're…" Hwoarang was trying to speak with Yoshimitsu, only for him to point his sword at the Taekwondo fighter. This caused the Korean man to snap in fear. "Woah! Take it easy, man! I was gonna thank you, ya know!" he insisted to him.

Yoshimitsu directed his gaze towards the trio. "Spare the pleasantries! Me and my brothers did not interfere just to save you. We interfered out of necessity" he berated Hwoarang, yet decided to ask him and the two girls a question. "Which begs the question. Why are you skulking around in our territory?" he then asked them.

Asuka cooked an eyebrow. "Wait. You're saying that this entire place is yours!? Looks like someone has some screws loose!" she remarked, only to have a sword pointed at her. "Okay, I take it back! Sorry!" she quickly apologized.

"Gifu is the location of one of the many hideouts of the Manji Party, near the mountain of Sakiyama. We look after the people who live in the rural areas. Therefore, it is we who own this territory" Yoshimitsu replied, his voice less than gentle. "And you three can stop feigning ignorance in front of me. I know that the three of you would not appear in a place like this so randomly. You are traveling with more people. Speak up before I lose my patience" Yoshimitsu then demanded an answer out of them.

Hwoarang was stunned to hear what Yoshimitsu just said. "Am I hearing things or did that octopus-guy just figure out that we're not alone on this journey? Either way, he's incredible!" the Korean man thought while observing the swordsman.

"We're not here to cause any trouble" Xiaoyu stepped forward in order to speak with Yoshimitsu. "You see, we were actually on the run from a group of former contestants that wanted to capture the three of us. They wanted to use us as a bait in order to lure out Jin" the Chinese girl answered as honest as she could.

"I see. And who are these people, Ling Xiaoyu?" the swordsman asked.

"You know who I'm talking. Among those fighters was the cyborg, Bryan Fury" she told him and Yoshimitsu felt a shock build within him as he heard that name being uttered. "And then there was also this kunoichi wearing the mask of a fox. Her hair was crimson tied into to two ponytails and…." Xiaoyu was trying to describe one of another fighters.

But Yoshimitsu had already figured out the identity. "Kunimitsu….." the swordsman uttered out the name. He was in complete disbelief. "Kunimitsu and Bryan Fury working together…how could I have not foreseen this?" he wondered.

"You know those two?" Asuka asked him, only to have Yoshimitsu walk past her and Hwoarang. He was facing in the direction the three fighters had been coming from.

"Where are they!?" the swordsman suddenly wanted to know were these two people were at. Hwoarang, Asuka and Xiaoyu could tell that something was different with him. "I need to know where those two scoundrels are! Their very presence will not be tolerated in these areas!" Yoshimitsu added, feeling more than willing to locate and attack Bryan and Kunimitsu. Indeed, these two were considered to be his sworn enemies alongside the Mishimas. That being said, the three fighters would have to show him and his fellow ninjas the way back.

* * *

 _Inside a research room, Violet Systems HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

When news broke out that Kazuya was currently fighting a mysterious man on the Millennium Tower, Lee Chaolan, Lars Alexandersson and their friends were caught completely by surprise. But then again, this only confirmed their assumptions that Heihachi was not dead.

However, the true shocking news appeared when a laser bream struck down upon the skyscraper itself, reducing it to nothing but dusts. Lee, realizing that Heihachi may have been in possession of a deadly weapon decided to find out the cause of this strike upon the Millennium Tower. Therefore, he took his friends with him to a research room in Violet System's HQ. This room had a tall computer, similar to the one located at the former hideout of Yggdrasil. As researchers kept working on the computers, Lee and his friends stood and watched.

"You're saying you have satellites in space?" Lei asked the business tycoon, the police officer stunned to hear this. "Woah…..I didn't know Violet Systems was THAT loaded!" he remarked in amazement.

"Indeed. But these are not the typical satellites you see on television. Compared to them, they are relatively small" Lee replied, his eyes focused on the giant screen before them. "That being said, we can use them to find out what kind of weapon Heihachi has that he used to destroy the Millennium Tower with" he added to his statement.

"Whatever that blast was, it sure seemed powerful" Lars noted, his mind currently focused on Kazuya. "Somehow, I don't think Kazuya or anyone else in that building survived. The entire building crumbled thanks to that attack from above" he then spoke of his half-brother.

"Agreed. But while I do share your thoughts, one can never underestimate someone like Kazuya Mishima. Don't forget, he has the power of the Devil within him. As such, his survival instincts surpass that of an ordinary human being" Master Raven spoke up her opinion about Kazuya.

"Hmmm, that sounds highly unrealistic to me" Raven said in return.

Suddenly, the reaserches that were working on the screen suddenly realized something. "Sir! We have managed to connect to our very own satellite! The camera seems to be functioning well" one of them told Lee, who was satisfied with what he was hearing.

"Excellent. Then show us what our satellite sees" the silver-haired man replied to which the researches obliged by tapping on the computer's keyboard.

Soon enough, the giant screen showed everyone a picture from space. But not only that, there was something large floating nearby in the distance. It was a large satellite with what appeared to be a cannon attached to it. The very sight of it stunned everyone in the research room.

"What is that thing?" Alisa asked while she was looking at it.

"It's a satellite….except that it's slightly different from ordinary ones…." Lars spoke up, trying to come up with an answer to Alisa.

But while most people were surprised, Lee seemed to have figured what that type of satellite it was. More importantly, he knew what it did.

"It's just as I thought. That is the Mishima Zaibatsu's Orbital Laser Satellite" Lee remarked with what he was seeing.

"A what?" Raven questioned the business tycoon.

"It's a satellite death ray, created by the mad scientist Dr. Abel, when he served as Heihachi's top scientific advisor in the Zaibatsu" Lee told Raven, while the others listened.

"Dr. Abel? THE Dr. Abel?" Lei wondered out in disbelief. "I can't believe it! I've read files about him. True, he was a crazy genius who committed many crimes and messed-up inventions. But he was doing that kind of business the underground society. I never imagined that he would've made a weapon for Heihachi and his cronies!" he added, remembering how Interpol had constantly been searching for the mad scientist.

Alisa's eyes widened in realization of hearing the name. "Dr. Abel….I recognize that name…" the android spoke up, her database slowly starting to gather data that was lost. "According to what I know…...that man and my father were bitter rivals. His inventions would always be trumped by those of my father" she slowly recalled on what she knew about him.

"Of course. But unlike Dr. Bosconovitch, Abel was a man with twisted and megalomaniacal values. His view on science was completely the opposite of that of your dear father" Lee told Alisa, who listened closely.

"But what happened with him? Is he still alive?" Lars asked everyone, given that he knew very little about the mad scientist.

Master Raven shook her head at him. "No. According to some sources, he allegedly died during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4. He was killed by the cyborg he created: Bryan Fury" the agent revealed.

"We understand that you and him have some form of history with each other, detective" Raven spoke while facing Lei.

When Lei heard this, he began thinking about the man he had been chasing over the last years. "It's true. Before he became this sadistic killing machine that he is known as, Bryan Fury was once a police officer affiliated with Interpol, just like me. But tragically, he died during a shootout in Hong Kong. His body was then found by Dr. Abel, who took him to his laboratory and reanimated his body. That's how he became a cyborg" Lei began recalling to the story of a man he had once known to be a loyal officer serving the people in need.

Alisa had to admit she was terrified in hearing about Bryan. But a part of her couldn't help but to express pity towards him. Had he once been a human before? So many thoughts swirled inside the pinkette's head. But she soon came back to reality.

"Anyway, from what I understand, only Heihachi and the doctor knew how to gain access to this satellite death ray. And with Abel dead, Heihachi seemed to be the only left" Lee spoke up, yet he was eyeing the satellite on the screen with narrowing eyes. "But alas, this means that we are in serious danger right now. That old man is in possession of a weapon of mass destruction. And now that Kazuya and the G Corp has been wiped out…...we could potentially be his next targets" the silver-haired man then said.

His friends became unsettled with that statement. "You mean to tell us that Heihachi will use that satellite to destroy us? But that wouldn't sit well with his goal. Don't forget, because of Kazuya's Devil form being exposed to everyone, the world community will now start hailing Heihachi has their savior. That means he can't rely on such dangerous moves anymore" Lars pointed out some important facts.

"He speaks the truth" Master Raven spoke up, the black-skinned woman looking over her shoulder to face her subordinate. "Raven, we best contact HQ and see how the higher-ups are responding to these events. Hopefully, we can persuade them to not welcome Heihachi as this world's hero. But the rest of the United Nations most certainly will" she told him.

Raven firmly nodded his head in agreement. "Right away" he responded to his superior.

Lars directed his attention to Lee and Lei, both of them preparing to listen to what he was about to say. "Given that Heihachi is two steps away from achieving global domination, he will most likely not be focused on chasing after us. That's why we should use this opportunity to our advantage. We must gather allies in hopes of staying stronger against the Mishima Zaibatsu" the Swedish man told them, yet his mind started drifting back on Kazuya. "Now as for Kazuya, it's impossible to tell whether he and that man he fought could've survived that blast. But we better not presume them to be dead. For all we know, Kazuya could potentially come with a move of retaliation towards Heihachi. But until then, let us go on the offensive. We must wait for Jin to awaken from his coma before we can consider such moves" he went on explaining how they would proceed with their plans.

For now, things had changed for Yggdrasil. Still, they would continue to fight in order to make the world back to the way it was, regardless of whoever would seek to claim the world as his own.

 _To be continued…_


	23. Among the Ashes

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Among the Ashes**

 _In the ruins of what was once the Millennium Tower, Tokyo, Japan_

The strike from the Mishima Zaibatsu's satellite death ray had reduced the Millennium Tower to nothing but dust. While it wasn't as powerful and destructive as a nuclear weapon, the laser had also decimated the nearby buildings, turning them into ruins, as well as shattering their windows. In other words, this was a disaster for people. But for the G Corporation, it was really a disaster, given that their headquarters was now gone.

Among those piles of boulders and rubbles dotting the ruined cityscape, one of them disintegrated as the result of someone emerging up from it. It was none other than the G Corp's CEO: Kazuya Mishima. He was still in his Devil form. It was a miracle that he managed to survive this assault, given how destructive it was.

Before this, Kazuya was engaged in a serious battle against the cultist who called himself Revenant. It was a fight that proved to be a challenge for Kazuya, which had only resulted in him using his powers of the Devil Gene. Even so, Revenant was still able to fight on par with Kazuya and they each struggled in what felt like a clash between titans. The strike from above had caught both fighters off guard and they were buried within the crumbling boulders. Luckily, Kazuya managed to crawl himself out.

As he stood on a pile of rubbles with fires surrounding him, Kazuya looked around him to see what had become of the Millennium Tower. It was all gone before his eyes. Everything that existed were ruins and piles of boulders. And more importantly, Kazuya felt his dignity being shattered because of what Heihachi had done to him. But still, all this only strengthened the Japanese man's intense hatred for his father.

"You bastard…...YOU HAVE THE GALL TO ATTACK ME!?" Kazuya roared in devilish rage while flexing out his wings, resulting in a powerful shockwave being unleashed all around him. It sent objects flying towards different directions. "DAMN YOU, HEIHACHI! YOU HAVE DESTROYED EVERYTHING!" he then cursed his father, not doing it without any slice of remorse.

As Kazuya lowered his head slightly in defeat, he began thinking back to the day Heihachi had ruined his life. It was back when he was just a little boy. He remembered the cold and emotionless eyes from Heihachi, in wake of his mother's death. That memory alone was something Kazuya would never forget in his life. It had been one of the main motivations for him to kill Heihachi.

Right now, Kazuya felt his spirit weakening. He still continued to face the rubbles beneath him, probably beginning to show some signs of sadness. That was a rare thing for him to do, given his ruthless and cold personality. Still, it was not surprising, as Kazuya had always been affected by this never-ending feud with his father.

But Kazuya was not the only one who had been caught off guard by this attack. Nearby, many fighters had been caught in the aftereffect of the laser's strike, and were now scrambling to recover their energies after narrowly surviving the attack.

Bo "Rodeo" Montana, Shaheen, Marshall Law and Paul Phoenix were now trying to hold onto each other while moving through the rubbles. It was harsh, especially since none of them possessed much strength to even walk. They were bruised and battered by this horrible experience. But they had to try and get away from this mess.

"Fuck! I can't believe this happened!" Rodeo cursed as he was holding onto Shaheen. So far, the soldier was acting with so much anger inside of him. "Goddamnit! What son of a bitch would have the balls to pull something like this upon a city, let alone innocent civilians!?" he added, yet found himself coughing out some blood. Rodeo had a reason to be angry, given that many human lives had perished in wake of this horrendous attack.

"Control your anger. Your body has already endured much as a result of this unexpected attack. Try not to bring more suffering to it through mindless rage" Shaheen encouraged him, panting as he and Rodeo tried to move through the rubbles. The Saudi Arabian man could see that his vision was weakening a little, most likely due to blood running near his eyes. "Al'ama! My vision is getting blurrier by the minute. Hopefully we will find a way out of this area and get to a hospital" he then thought as he helped Rodeo walk.

Meanwhile, Paul was coughing a little as he held onto Marshall. The two best friends could feel that this was taking a toll upon their entire bodies. As such, it also affected them emotionally.

"Oh God…I can't take it anymore!" Marshall uttered out, he too coughing intensively as he walked. "Paul…...I almost feel like just wanting to collapse right now…...I don't think I can continue…." Marshall's words were interrupted by Paul.

"Don't even say that, pal! You can't die now! Have you forgotten about your…" Paul was trying to say something, but Marshall was having enough and lashed out against him.

"SCREW THE DOJO! I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT CRAPPY PLACE! IT'S NOT WORTH FIGHTING FOR ANYMORE! ALL THAT I WANT NOW IS JUST TO GO HOME AND SEE….." the Chinese-American fighter was filled with rage, until he began coughing out a pool of blood.

Paul became frantic, desperately seeking to calm him down. "Will you stop yelling!? You're only exaggerating yourself, Marshall! Doing more might cause you to become a lifeless corpse" the Judo fighter told him, yet he was beginning to become slightly more emotional with his best friend. "But listen…...I wasn't gonna say the dojo. That shit's over. We both know that. What I was trying to say was doing this for your wife…...and Forrest. Have you forgotten that he just got out of the hospital!? If you haven't then don't you dare die on him now! Otherwise, I'll never forgive you!" Paul then revealed, getting more serious with the Chinese-American man as he listened carefully to his words.

In hearing this, Marshall's eyes widened in realization. His formerly enraged expression was filled with sadness. There was no doubt that he really missed his son. As a matter of fact, tears slowly started streaming from his eyes.

"Forrest…" Marshall spoke out the name of his son. Being mentioned of him made the middle-aged man happy on the inside. As such, the fighter/chef was determined to continue.

Paul smiled with what he was seeing and helped his best friend up. "Come on. Let's get out of this hellhole. The quicker we're out, the safer we are" he told his best friend and so they continued moving through the rubble. Paul made sure to never let go of Marshall. He, in turn, did the same thing.

Not far from their location, Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen, Katarina Alves and Zafina were helping each other while struggling to find a way out of this mess. They were all exhausted to move, yet continued to press on.

"Mein Gott…the Millennium Tower had so many human lives inside…...but now they're all gone…dead….as if their lives meant nothing…" Leo couldn't fathom what had happened.

"Yeah, but how were we supposed to predict such an attack!? It happened while we were busy fighting Kazuya Mishima's henchmen!" Katarina exclaimed, the young woman feeling herself getting agitated as she spoke.

Zafina clenched her teeth, trying to resist the pain that would never fade away within her. Even she had been stunned by the attack that had almost cost her and the others their lives. She began looking back, the Egyptian woman wondering about whether Kazuya and his allies were still alive or dead.

"As much as I want to think that man is dead, I have some doubts he could be. Kazuya Mishima has the power of the Devil. Powerful as this blast may have been, it wasn't enough to put an end to him" Zafina thought as she barely had enough strength to even look over her shoulder. Suddenly, she felt pain within her head, and Zafina knew that she had to press on. "Sadly, I am in no condition to be pursuing Kazuya and his lapdogs. Nevertheless, we will meet again. That I am certain of" she added, this time trying to focus on escaping from this area.

While some were already struggling to get out of this ruined section of the city, Eddy Gordo and Christie Monteiro had almost succeeded in reaching safety. But they had to withstand the pain all over their bodies, as well as the blood running from their faces. Eddy was actually carrying Christie, the man with the dreadlocks withstanding the stress.

"We're almost there…Christie" he told his closest friend. But unfortunately, he stumbled upon a big rock, causing him to trip over. As a result, he lost Christie.

She landed on the ground, yet didn't feel pain. Christie looked up to the man she had grown attached to in the last couple of years. "Eddy…...are you alright!?" she worriedly asked him, yet Eddy kept pushing her away.

"I'm fine, Christie! I just tripped by accident! There's no big deal!" Eddy told her, causing Christie to watch him with slight eyes of disapproval. He could see this and wondered why she gave him such looks. "Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked her.

"Eddy…just stop. Stop putting on this tough-guy act! You're as bruised and battered as I am!" the young girl told him, her eyes slightly filled with tears. "This isn't the time to be acting all self-righteous and sanctimonious. Just admit that you're wounded. Please!" Christie added to her statement.

Eddy was shocked to hear this coming from Christie's mouth. But at the same time, he couldn't blame her for feeling this way. The Capoeira fighter knew that he had not been frank with Christie when it came to his shady dealings. But not only that, he had completely forgotten the fact that the girl sitting before him, was the last link he had to his deceased master. Why had he failed to start appreciate the fact that she was now with him?

Before Christie even knew it, she found herself getting embraced quickly by Eddy. It caught her by surprise, yet she didn't care. It filled her with so much comfort, despite the fact she felt pain all over her body. Starting to feel teary, Christie returned the hug, the young girl sobbing as she leaned onto Eddy's shoulder.

Eddy almost wanted to cry, yet something kept him from doing that. His mind was still strong-willed. As he comforted his closest friend, the Brazilian man looked over his shoulder to face back at the ruins behind them. His eyes narrowed, indicating he was thinking about none other than his hated enemy.

"I'm not sure whether you are dead or alive…but I could care less about it! You are not even worth shit to me, Kazuya Mishima! Hopefully, you are lying dead among the boulders, which will then prevent more people to suffer under your actions!" Eddy thought about Kazuya, now starting to slowly let go of his desire of vengeance towards the Japanese man. Once Christie was calmed down, he helped her up to her feet, the two Capoeira fighters ready to continue walking. "Let's go, Christie. We'll soon find some medics that will be more than happy to treat our injuries. And I'm confident that the other fighters will be joining us, including Katarina" Eddy reassured the young girl.

When Christie heard Katarina being mentioned, she couldn't help but to wonder how she was feeling right now. After all, the sassy woman had been looking to free her father from captivity inside the G Corp's HQ. But now it was gone. This could only mean that Katarina's father had perished alongside Kazuya and the others who were inside the Millennium Tower. Christie couldn't help but to feel bad for what happened.

As people sought to get away from the scene of the attack, few individuals were still inside the area. A wall of boulder was punched down and two people emerged out of it. It was Kazuya's most trusted associates: Bruce Irvin and Anna Williams. They were both bruised and covered in dirt by being stuck among the rubbles. Looking around, they could see nothing but ruins and piles of rubbles doting what was once a street. Both Bruce and Anna were silent for a minute.

"Holy fuck…...this is a complete mess…even the buildings have been affected by this…attack" Bruce cursed, feeling the area filled with smoke and ashes.

Anna coughed a little, surprisingly acting very calm when she supposedly would lose her temper in a situation like this. "You don't say. And not just that…there's not a single soul to be heard. It's clearly obvious that the Millennium Tower…...is gone" the Irish brunette remarked, still coughing due to how the air was filled with smoke.

Knowing better than to stand around and do nothing, Bruce and Anna got moving, although it was difficult to navigate through such harsh reality. They had barely escaped death. Even so, they pressed on, desperate to see whether their leader was dead or alive.

"You think he's dead?" Anna asked her comrade, yet Bruce didn't respond to her question. This only encouraged Anna to continue speaking, even telling her answer. "My answer, I admit, is there's about 50/50 % chance that he's alive" she then told him.

This time, Bruce finally responded. "Quit wasting words on such meaningless speculations, Anna. We'll know that as soon as we reach the place were the tower once stood" the American kickboxer informed his partner, still trying to catch his breath. But at the same time, he noticed that one of his communication devices around his right ear was destroyed. "Damnit…...this thing's busted. That means I can't communicate with the other commanders, let alone call for the medics. At this rate, we're stuck in this ruined area" Bruce growled in irritation and threw his device onto the ground.

"Well aren't we in a deep mess?" Anna sarcastically remarked, her mind focused upon the way before them. "I bet the spot where HQ once stood has become a deep crater filled with rubbles and fire. Hopefully, we'll find Kazuya there" she told her partner.

Bruce shrugged his shoulders in return. "Assuming he's still alive that is" he responded flatly.

But not far from where their location, Lucky Chloe was standing with JACK-7, the robot having protected her from any boulders in raining upon the young girl. Still, Chloe was filled with fear, given that she thought she was going to die in that blast. Without even thinking, the blonde-haired otaku held onto the robot's right hip, with JACK-7 remaining unfazed at her behavior.

"Oh my God! I just can't take this anymore!" Chloe started pleading like some little girl. "I felt like I was gonna die just now…what just happened with me!?" tears fell from the teenage girl's eyes, and she started pouting endlessly.

But JACK-7 was beginning to analyze their current location, in hopes of finding out where Kazuya was still alive. He ignored Chloe's antics. While moving his head in order to get a good perspective, JACK-7 managed to finally track someone on the radar, locating not only Bruce and Anna, but Kazuya as well.

"My sensors have located Kazuya's location. His survival has been confirmed" the robot spoke up, his scanning deactivated.

This forced Chloe to end her pouting, as she couldn't believe what JACK-7 had done. "So that means the boss is still alive!?" she asked with some level of happiness in her voice. Chloe hugged the robot tightly. "Then what are we standing around here for, silly!? Let's go see him!" she told him.

"Affirmative" JACK-7 responded and he carried the young girl on his shoulder. They would then go and regroup with their comrades.

Down the crater of where the Millennium Tower once stood, Bruce and Anna could see their superior standing on a pile while fired burned around him. But they could hear someone appear behind them. Turning around, they saw Alex and Gigas arriving. They too, had survived the attack, although Gigas had been in a different location than what his cohorts were.

"Ah, so there you are. Glad to see that both of you made it out alive. Especially you…Gigas" Anna spoke up, her smug smile directed towards the red behemoth, who simply stood in silence and listened. Alex also did the same thing.

"Well, we're still missing JACK-7 and that annoying, little otaku. I wonder whether they…." Bruce noted, only to hear a girly voice call to him.

"Who're you calling annoying, old geezer!?" it came from Lucky Chloe, the teenage girl getting off JACK-7's shoulder and approaching Bruce in a confrontational manner. It was obvious she was mad at him. "I almost died just now, so I'm not gonna put up with your crappy attitude!" she lashed out against the tall man.

Bruce narrowed his eyes at Chloe in disapproval. "Tch, you're the only one who almost died here, punk. And for the record, this ain't the first time I've had a near-death experience. I survived a plan crash! Have you ever experienced something similar!? he retorted back, feeling the urge to get physical with the teenage girl.

Hearing this only fueled the fire within Chloe. She even pointed her paw-like gloves at the rubble before them. "Who cares about what you experienced!? THIS is what me, JACK-7 and Gigas were trying to warn you about! But no, you kept throwing me under the bus as if we were crazy!" she hit back, not wanting to back down from confronting this tough mercenary.

Before Bruce could even lose his cool, Anna stepped in between them, using her hands to move him and Chloe away from each other. "Alright! That's enough playing for now, children! We don't have the energy to waste time on such childish bicker!" the brunette told them both. Once things got settled, Anna stepped away and looked at the pile of rubbles to see Kazuya sitting on the top. Her lips curled into a smile. "And speaking of which, it looks like our boss is alive…just as I had anticipated!" she spoke up smugly.

The rest of her allies joined her side, looking up to see Kazuya, still in his Devil form. So far, he had been sitting as if he was defeated. Even though his subordinates were present, Kazuya was still thinking about how humiliated it was to have let Heihachi do as he pleased. But as much as these thoughts continued to haunt him, something else began to dominate Kazuya's mind. It was the will to continue fighting. Using his wings, Kazuya put out every fire around him with a powerful swoosh. But the Japanese man soon reverted back to his normal form and he started to get off the pile of rubbles and down to his subordinates.

"Kazuya…you're alive…..." Bruce spoke up, feeling relieved to know that this boss was still alive.

"You're all here…wonderful. I'll have to admit, I made the right choice in appointing each of you as my associates. Your survival of this cowardly attack from Heihachi only proves why I trust each of you with my life" Kazuya began speaking, praising each of his subordinates with pride.

While they were pleased to hear how Kazuya valued them much, they were confused to what he was speaking of Heihachi attacking them. "What do you mean by cowardly attack from Heihachi? Are you saying that…" Anna was interrupted in her words by an angry Chloe.

"Are you freaking kidding me!? I just informed you about it, you stupid…" the teenage girl snapped at Anna, yet soon calmed herself once Kazuya glanced at her. Her voice become more gentle and sweeter. "I mean, yes. Me and my teammates came back in hopes of warning you about this unexpected assault. JACK-7 had managed to hack into the Mishima Zaibatsu's database and discovered Heihachi's plans" Chloe revealed, trying her best to look positive in face of Kazuya's gaze upon her.

"I see. As a matter of fact, I have already figured out Heihachi's plans. He faked his death, waited for Revenant to battle me and then use that damn satellite death ray of his to destroy us both" Kazuya informed everyone, scowling as he revealed all the details.

They all widened at what Kazuya was mentioning. "A satellite death ray? Since when the hell did the old bastard manage to get his hands on one of those things!?" Bruce asked in outrage, although he soon looked up through the dusty skies. "But then again, that would explain the reason for why this…beam came from above…...fuck…can't believe I'm saying this but it's a miracle that we're all still alive" the black-skinned man admitted, realizing how really lucky they were.

"To my understanding those rumors about Heihachi possessing such a destructive weapon were all but urban legends" Anna spoke up.

Kazuya nodded his head in agreement. "I used to think the same thing. And according to those rumors, Heihachi had Doctor Abel construct it for him to use" he revealed.

"You mean that crazy, ol' nutjob? But he's dead…...at least that's what I heard" Bruce spoke up.

"Indeed. But Abel built it when he was employed by Heihachi as his top scientific advisor. That means only those two know how to use the satellite death ray. And with the doctor dead, it only left Heihachi able to do as he pleased" Kazuya revealed.

Lucky Chloe suddenly stepped forward, ever so curious as to find out what they could be doing next. "If I interrupt you for a minute, sir. What is our next course of action?" she asked his superior, who she could tell was less than pleased to answer this.

"We will retreat…...for now. Because of this cowardly assault, I will be forced to rethink our strategy. And since the entire world now knows about my true form, it's bound to make people turn against the G Corporation" Kazuya spoke up, yet he couldn't help but to force a cocky smirk as he spoke of this. "But still, this doesn't mean that we're giving up. If Heihachi thinks that he can get away with what he was done, then he's delusional as always. But for now, we'll let that old fool and his pets believe that he has achieved victory. We'll leave Japan and head to the G Corp's tower in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is there where we will begin our counterattack" he informed his subordinates.

They were all listening, with Bruce and Anna supporting their superior's decision. After what Heihachi had done to nearly kill them, they were crying for payback and would do anything to see the old man fall. In fact, they both now understood Kazuya's resentment towards his father. Without further delay, Kazuya lead his followers out of the crater, in hopes of getting out this mess.

* * *

 _In the hills of Kamida, Gifu, Japan_

Far away from the chaos in Tokyo, Lili, Steve, Julia and other fighters were still continuing their fight against L'ordine. Having chosen to fight them in order for Xiaoyu, Hwoarang and Asuka to escape from persecution, the group were struggling against members of this secretive alliance. It was Lili against Claudio, Michelle against Kunimitsu, Steve against Dragunov, Ganryu against Feng, Bob against Bryan and Julia against Armor King. How long these fights would last was yet to be determined. But so far, Lili and her newfound friends were struggling.

Steve, who had good reflexes, failed to see just how good Dragunov was in terms of flexibility. His talent for Sambo enabled the Russian man to even grab Steve with his right foot and force him into a chokehold. The British boxer knew how tricky this would get, so he decided to launch his newly-discovered powers.

"I guess I'll have to give everything I've got from now on" Steve said and stretched out his arms. As he focused, yellow electricity began appearing all over the young man. "This time, I'm not gonna hold back on you, even if you have so may tricks up your sleeves!" he then taunted the Russian soldier.

Surprisingly, Dragunov's eyes of emptiness widened in surprise with what he was seeing. He couldn't believe it, but the way Steve unleashed electricity all over his body reminded him about someone. As a result, the black-haired man got more cautious with what he was up against. Frowning, Dragunov did the unthinkable…he spoke!

"You will be eliminated" he said with a completely emotionless voice.

Steve was surprised. "Woah! So you do really talk? I thought you were born mute" he remarked in utter surprise. Feeling more than pleased with this fight, Steve charged towards Dragunov. "Well, you won't be talking more once I've punched your lights out! So bring it on, Mr. Soldier!" Steve called out, his fast clashing with Dragunov's.

The Russian man simply dismissed Steve's taunts, seeing them as nothing to take heart with. But still, Dragunov was starting to grow intrigued with the British boxer, wondering whether he had some form of connection with the Mishimas or not.

Meanwhile, Bryan was fighting on par with Bob, but he was getting quite agitated with the chubby martial artist. Each time the cyborg punched Bob's stomach, Bob simply bumped it away with his big belly. At the same time, Bob was faster than what Bryan had anticipated.

"This isn't real! You weren't that fast during our fight in the Pacific!" Bryan blurted out, recalling their fight in the tournament.

Bob scoffed at Bryan. "That's because I didn't receive enough time to show you my true skills" he told the cyborg and charged towards Bryan in full speed. "Which means, had that rogue wave not hit the containership, I would've beaten you easily!" Bob then taunted his opponent.

Hearing this filled Bryan with rage, and he responded by charging towards Bob. But before Bob could launch himself at Bryan, the cyborg managed to kick him in the face. He then proceeded to kick Bob's right leg, thus forcing him to backtrack. Now, it was Bryan's turn to get on the offensive.

"Hah! Looks like you're not so bold after all! I'm gonna pop you like a balloon when I'm through with you!" Bryan expressed his desires with what to do with Bob.

Despite hearing such cruel and savage thoughts, Bob had the guts to stand and face his foe with bravery. "Hate to break it to you, psycho. But I'm not planning on losing to you!" the blonde-haired man taunted his opponent.

Not far from their location, Julia was having the fight of her life against Armor King. As they had battled, the masked luchador had started to take notice of how strong Julia really was as a fighter. After all, she had been able to stand against him toe to toe, which only intensified Armor King's interest in Julia.

"I must admit, your appearance betrays your strength, Julia Chang. Some of the moves you perform are somewhat…...similar to those of luchadores" Armor King commended his opponent. Even though his face was covered, Julia could tell that Armor King wanted to continue speaking. "Tell me, señorita. Who taught you such moves? Was it that imbecile, King?" he wanted some answers out of Julia.

The four-eyed brunette stroke her hair as she listened to what Armor King was saying. "I've honestly no idea what you're talking about. No wrestler taught me how to fight. That honor belongs to my mom" Julia replied, still feeling cautious about her foe. "By the way, why are you asking me this? From what I gather, it's rare for you to actually be sociable, given how solitary you are" she added to her statement.

This caused anger to take hold on Armor King once again. "Do not make me repeat myself, foolish girl. You will be silenced, by any means necessary. Therefore, I shall break your fighting spirit!" the man with the black jaguar mask told Julia with no regrets.

As harsh as it was for Julia to hear him say that, the young brunette stood tall. "Break my fighting spirit? Sorry to disappoint you, but my fighting spirit can't be killed! But I dare you to come and try!" she taunted Armor King while mocking his claims.

In response, Armor King charged towards Julia with all his bestial rage. He would not stop until Julia was defeated. "THEN YOUR FALL IS NOW IMMINENT!" the luchador yelled back.

Meanwhile, Ganryu was trying to pull on some Sumo punches against Feng. But the Kenpo master was, in addition to being powerful, also very flexible. As Ganryu tried to land some attack upon him, Feng kept dodging them, despite the Sumo wrestler forcing him backwards. This only made Ganryu feel distressed.

"Damn! How can this Kenpo fighter have such incredible reflexes!?" Ganryu wondered, yelling as he was about to land an attack upon Feng, only for the Chinese man to dodge him once again.

Feng only smirked and delivered a powerful attack on Ganryu's chest with his gloved handpalm. This sent the middle-aged man a few feet backwards. Once he stopped, Ganryu coughed out some chunks of blood.

"It would appear to me that the ancestors are not on your side, Yokozuna" Feng spoke up, watching as his opponent struggled to come to terms with the attack Feng had given him.

Ganryu was panting, he could feel the pain in his chest. Even so, the middle-aged man stood tall and faced his opponent with determination. "I am not the one yielding here, Kenpo fighter. As such, my ancestors have not forsaken me!" he said while standing in his Sumo stance.

Feng had to admit he was amused by how brave Ganryu was. "I admire your stoic will to continue fighting. But sadly, this duel will sooner or later have to come to an end. That is the outcome" the Chinese man said and charged towards his foe.

Ganryu's eyes narrowed. "Not if I can help determine it!" he hit back and readied himself for his attacker to arrive. Then he would gladly respond to Feng's aggression.

Not far, Michelle was fighting on par with Kunimitsu. The Native American woman had to admit that her opponent was not the same as before. Kunimitsu used her Ninjutsu to vanish and appear behind Michelle. Fortunately, Michelle had quick reflexes, and she leaned forwards in order to avoid getting slashed by the kunoichi.

The two women held hands against each other, engaging in a power struggle. "Gotta say, you're tougher than before. Have you been training or something?" Michelle asked her opponent.

Kunimitsu frowned deeply at that question. "That is out of the question. I have always been training to hone my skills!" the redhead snapped and proceeded to charge towards Michelle with a flying kick.

To counter this, Michelle blocked it with her arms, yet Kunimitsu was not finished fighting yet. Using her acrobatics, the kunoichi held onto her opponent's shoulders and held her down so that Michelle was forced to the ground. Afterwards, Kunimitsu rolled, so that she could push the Native American woman into the air. This caught Michelle by surprise, as she was unsure about what to do.

Kunimitsu jumped up towards Michelle and kick her in the air, only for the brunette to respond in kind. She also did the same thing towards the kunoichi. Soon, both women were back to ground-level, each of them desperate to make a move towards each other.

"Hmm, you're quite bold for someone so brash and outspoken" Kunimtsu commented, the masked woman facing her opponent with a smirk.

Michelle tried to catch her breath, yet she did her best not to leave herself unguarded. "I don't know what to say. You see, it's not in my nature to accept compliments from enemies" she told her, slowly getting up on her feet. "Especially when some of them are nothing but crooked thieves such as you!" Michelle added with a retort.

In response, Kunimitsu charged towards Michelle. "I won't let some miserable environmentalist judge me for who I am! Let me remind you of where garbage like you stand in the food chain!" the kunoichi hit back, more than willing to teach Michelle a thing or two about respect, as Kunimitsu felt she was being disrespected.

Not far from where they clashed, Lili was on her wits end. She found herself struggling against Claudio, the Italian exorcist having easily managed to overpower her with the help of his mysterious power. The young blondie felt this was getting slightly humiliating, yet a part of her refused to give in. As such, she remained determined to stand against Claudio.

"Feeling tired out?" Claudio smugly asked his opponent, his bright light shining across his right arm never fading away. "If I were in your position, I would quit while it was still an option. And fortunately, I happen to have a smarter head than yours, signorina" the exorcist continued.

Lili panted, yet she easily dismissed her opponent's taunt. "You want me to give up now? Don't be so absurd!" she snapped and stood in her fighting position. "Why would I end the fun so soon? We haven't even reached the most fun part: the one where I defeat you" the rich girl added to her confidence,

Claudio frowned deeply. "Has your lifestyle really made you that delusional? I swear, you Rocheforts are sometimes so arrogant that you fail to see what is at stake in this world" he berated the young girl.

Hearing this made Lili fume with anger. "Speak for yourself! And don't you dare bringing up my family into this charade of yours! We have already suffered enough at the hands of the Mishima Zaibatsu!" the young girl retorted, having enough determination to charge at the exorcist.

Still, Claudio remained unfazed at her desperate attempts to best him. "Then I suppose defeat will silence your determination for good! Come at me with everything you have, Emilie De Rochefort! I will gladly show you how amateurs like you fall easily!" he responded and readied himself for Lili's incoming assault.

But before he could clash, Claudio, as well as the other fighters nearby, failed to notice something that took place amidst the fighting. Several small objects were thrown near them. While they looked like small balls, they were in reality smoke bombs. As soon as they were thrown on the ground, they exploded. Given the number of bombs, the smokescreen that evolved was larger than the average one.

The surprise attack caught everyone by surprise, but the members of L'ordine were even more surprised to what was happening. Claudio managed to appear near his compatriots, yet he tried to use his magical left eye to see through the thick smoke.

"Accidenti! What is the meaning of this!?" Claudio angrily asked his comrades.

"It's not our doing, so back off, stupid priest!" Bryan hit back at him, although he was also trying to see through the smokescreen.

"This couldn't have possibly been the work of these people! How can they suddenly possess smoke bombs!?" Feng spoke up.

But while most of them struggled to see, Dragunov had found a way to cope with this. As such, he reached for his heat vision googles. With those, he could be able to see through the smokescreen and point out to who was so foolishly interrupting their fights.

On the other hand, Kunimitsu seemed to have figured it out who it was that had thrown those smoke bombs. She recognized them based upon past experiences. The woman with the fox-like mask scowled when she realized who it was.

"I don't believe it! So, you and your lackeys finally show yourselves, huh!?" Kunimitsu angrily asked through the thick layers of smoke.

"Do you know that bastardo who threw these!?" Armor King demanded an answer out of her.

Kunimitsu scoffed at him. "Not only that. These smoke bombs are used by those of the Manji Party. And there's only one famous person I can recognize!" the red-haired woman told her comrades.

"Hold on, you're not seriously saying that…" Bryan was interrupted when he noticed the smoke slowly beginning to disintegrate.

Dragunov stepped forward and pointed his finger towards the direction he had caught sight of their enemies. As the smoke cleared, the group was in for a surprise. Standing before them was a group of ninjas. Before them was their leader: Yoshimitsu. He and his fellow members of the Manji Party were guarding Lili and the others, who in turn were stunned to see that Hwoarang, Asuka and Xiaoyu had returned to this location with these ninjas.

"Why did you come back!? Didn't I tell you three to run away as far as possible!?" Lili demanded some answers out of the three while looking over her shoulder. "And who are these people, anyway? I know that swordsman from the tournament but…." Lili was interrupted by Asuka.

"This is what you ask us? Be thankful that we came back with reinforcements!" Asuka rebuked the rich girl.

"She's right! And from the looks of it, you didn't seem to hold on your own against that exorcist-dude!" Hwoarang joined in reprimanding Lili.

In response to this, Lili huffed and looked away as if she was not listening to what they told her. "Hmm, what I would do to get a little respect from some people" she muttered, not looking at her rival nor the Korean man.

"But he's a good guy! We can trust him!" Michelle joined in, assuring Lili and the others that Yoshimitsu was a good guy.

"Is that so? Well, I hope you're right" Steve spoke up, the British boxer watching the confrontation that was currently taking place. "Hard to say this, but I feel somewhat grateful to

The swordsman faced the group before him, determined to confront whoever was intruding upon his group's territories. Even though his face couldn't be seen, people could tell that Yoshimitsu was very furious with Claudio and his associates.

"Scoundrels! How dare you set foot in our territory with infernal vehicles such as these!?" Yoshimitsu questioned while pointing out the two large monster trucks parked nearby. However, the swordsman was eyeing two specific enemies. "But then again, it is no surprise that people like you have the nerve to defile these peaceful areas!" he said this to both Bryan and Kunimitsu.

Bryan grinned psychotically with what he was seeing. "Now this gotta be my happiest day ever! My most hated enemy comes straight to me! Boy, have I been a lucky boy!" the cyborg exclaimed while facing Yoshimitsu.

Kunimitsu faced the pale-skinned man smirking with her crimson lips. "What a coincidence. You and I both despise the same man" she revealed to him, causing Bryan to only glance at her with a raised eyebrow. Eventually the kunoichi shifted her focus to Yoshimitsu. "And as for you, whoever said these lands were under the domain of you and those miserable worms you lead!? I beg to differ your claims, Yoshimitsu" Kunimitsu began insulting her hated enemy.

Yoshimitsu, already feeling agitated in seeing two of his worst enemies being on the same team, decided to get more serious with these intruders. "Enough talk! All of you are to leave this place or die! And I am not known for empty threats!" the swordsman warned the unwelcome visitors.

Claudio weren't intimidated by Yoshimitsu's threats. Neither were Feng, Armor King, Bryan and the others. The exorcist pointed his fingers at the trio he was seeking to apprehend. "If you want us to leave, then be so kind as to hand over those three individuals. I need them to lure out Jin Kazama. Surely you wouldn't mind that, would you?" he told the swordsman what he wanted.

But Yoshimitsu was not pleased. "The Manji Party has no interest in aiding you. Neither are we interested in where to find the man who started this cursed war. Now as for these people. They are our concern, given that they come to our territory uninvited. If you wish to avoid the same fate, then leave!" he spoke up, this time even threatening the gang of fighters he supposedly was "protecting". They were both worried about whether Yoshimitsu and his men had plans to kill them or something else.

"It would appear that we are at an impasse here, my robotic friend. And that only leads us to nowhere" Claudio spoke up smugly, the Italian man having some form of agenda on his mind. "Which leads me to ask you one last time. Give us those three people and we will be more than happy to leave this place" he gave Yoshimitsu and the ninjas an ultimatum.

Having had enough with such nonsense, Yoshimitsu was about to order his men to get ready to fight. He could even that Bryan was wishing for them to attack him, doing a mockingly gesture which indicated he wanted them to come at him. Feeling agitated, Yoshimitsu brandished his sword and pointed it towards his adversaries. It was obvious the swordsman was prepared to confront these people.

"You want my answer? Well, here it is! I will make sure each and everyone of you regret ever setting foot upon…" Yoshimitsu was about to tell them what he would do, only to sense something heading straight towards his location.

Yoshimitsu wasn't alone in sensing this incoming danger. Quickly, everyone else did. Looking to their right, they saw about two missiles heading straight towards them. It was a terrifying sight.

"EVERYBODY, TAKE COVER!" Steve yelled as he ran away as fast as he could.

As soon as everyone scattered, the missiles hit the ground, causing an explosion to appear in the road. This was something that no one had been expecting, even the ninjas of the Manji Party.

"Bloody hell! Who just fired those missiles!?" Steve cursed, watching as the flames continued to feed upon the ground.

"The fuck I know!" Hwoarang snapped, only to angrily look at Yoshimitsu. "Dude! What is wrong with you!? Are you planning on getting us all killed!?" he wanted some answers, although a part of the Korean man wanted to kick Yoshimitsu.

The swordsman glanced at him. "This is not our doing, repulsive fool! The Manji Party never resorts to such cowardly surprise attacks" Yoshimitsu hit back, only for him to look up and past the rising smoke. "As a matter of fact, there is only one group I know for certain employs such tactics" he then stated.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Lili asked warily.

Before Yoshimitsu could reply, Bob, Ganryu and Michelle were seen pointing their fingers towards the air. The entire group looked up and their eyes were filled with shock. Up in the air was about two large transport helicopters that were carrying dangerous missiles from each side. And judging from the symbol that they could see, it looked troubling.

"Damn! It's those Mishima Zaibatsu-lapdogs!" Bryan was angered with the fact that they had interrupted his chance of getting back at Yoshimitsu.

"The Tekken Force…...but why?" Feng wondered as he looked up. "What reason could they possibly have to be in a remote location such as Kamida?" the Kenpo fighter added, feeling unsure about their arrival into this area.

Kunimitsu gritted her teeth, and she glared at Yoshimitsu. "That sneaky, bastard! It must be the work of him or one of these punks! They have lured them to this location!" the kunoichi began accusing the swordsman of being the mastermind behind this "setup".

Before Yoshimitsu could respond to her, something else arrived on the scene. It was four large APCs used by the Tekken Force as a means of transporting it's soldiers. As soon as they stopped, many soldiers came out of them, ready to apprehend whatever their targets were. And worse, the transport helicopers above began dropping soldiers. As such, things were bound to get ugly.

"A Tekken Force squadron….I don't believe it!" Claudio was feeling slightly distressed with what he was seeing. But on the other hand, the exorcist was starting to realize that there was perhaps a motive for them to come to his location. "Accidenti! Have this squadron come for my blood on that pazzo Heihachi Mishima's orders!?" he wondered, seeing this as Heihachi getting back at Claudio for ending their cooperation.

In fact, one of the soldiers, who appeared to be a commander, was giving his men orders. He even pointed his finger at both groups standing in the area. "This is it, men! We have received information that informants of the Tekken Force rebels are hiding here! Commander Kuma has demanded that we apprehend them. The rest you are free to do with them as you please. Now, take no prisoners!" the commander informed and the soldiers began moving out.

The members of L'ordine, knowing better than to stand around and getting shot, retreated back to the two monster trucks. The soldiers opened fire, yet Claudio and his allies got into their gigantic machines. Switching the engines on, they sped up. However, this didn't mean that the Tekken Force would not pursue them. The two helicopters and some of the APCs chased the monster trucks, determined to catch whoever these so-called informants were.

Claudio managed to look back to the three people he had been trying to catch. While irritated that he had been denied, the Italian man knew that sooner or later, Xiaoyu, Asuka and Hwoarang would be his. Then, he would resume his hunt for Jin, especially with useful baits to lure him.

"This may have been a setback. But I will return. The light of Sirius extinguishes all shadows. As such, there are no places for you to hide!" Claudio thought as he looked, although he soon turned his attention in getting rid of he chasing helicopters and APCs.

Meanwhile, Lili and her friends were on the run in the woods, being chased by the Tekken Force like some rabbits. Fortunately, they were helped by Yoshimitsu and his ninjas, who assassinated every soldier that entered the nearby forest. Still, their numbers were endless, forcing Yoshimitsu and his subordinates to retreat as well.

Looking, Ganryu was sweating as he could see that they were still being chased, no matter how fast they were running. "They're unto us! Look!" the Sumo wrestler struggled to focus, almost tripping when he looked back.

"Don't look back! Keep facing forward!" Bob encouraged him.

"How long must we keep running like this!?" Xiaoyu loudly asked while panting deeply.

"Worry about that later! Right now, we must lose these troops!" Julia told the Chinese girl. But as they were running, they could soon spot what appeared to be a thick forest. Its trees were closer to one another. Realizing that it was the perfect spot for cover, Julia ran ahead of the group. "Look! We'll head into that forest! The trees will help hide us from those nasty soldiers!" the four-eyed girl exclaimed.

Since they were out in the open and technically hunted by the Tekken Force, the group decided to do as Julia suggested. Fortunately, there was no helicopter to keep track of them. That only made things slightly easier, not to mention how Yoshimitsu and his men had slowed them down.

"It looks like Yoshimitsu and his ninjas have been forced to retreat back into the shadows! These Tekken Force soldiers are persistent!" Michelle called out, noticing how it was quiet above them, since there were no ninjas in sight, not even on the branches of the trees. "Wherever they are, they sure did a wonderful thing in helping us escape. A shame that we're unable to thank him for this" the middle-aged brunette added to her statement.

"Well, how about we take some time to catch our breaths then?" Steve suggested, sighing deeply as he sat on a stump. "Apparently, that exorcist and his friends were also chased away. But they had those monster trucks to use….lucky bastards" Steve muttered at the end of his sentence.

"Not only that! All of a sudden, the Tekken Force appears out of nowhere! And why the hell would they be coming after us!?" Hwoarang asked out loud, the auburn-haired man unable to grasp what he had experienced.

"Beats me" Asuka spoke up while scratching the back of her head. "And that reminds me, there's no way that they would've appeared in a remote location such as this…...unless if there was an important reason" the Japanese girl noted.

"One of those soldiers did in fact say we were informants of the Tekken Force rebels…...but that's nothing but lies" Xiaoyu remarked, remembering what the commander had told his subordinates. "Unless, someone lured that squadron into believing we were…" she then realized.

Sebastian, who stood beside his young mistress, seemed to have an answer. Lili could tell it by looking at him, and she faced him strictly. Soon, everyone else turned their eyes to him, each of them curious to know where the butler had been before he joined them with escaping into the forest.

"Sebastian…what exactly were you doing back in the woods while we were fighting? You didn't mislead these soldiers to our location, did you!?" Lili wanted to know what her butler had done.

The old man swallowed a gulp, knowing that he could not hide from his young mistress. "Madame Lili, I swear I had nothing to do with sending messages to the Tekken Force. However, I will admit that while you were fighting that repulsive exorcist, I did in fact reach out to someone for help" Sebastian answered, adjusting his glasses as he did that.

Everyone before him all widened in disbelief. "Help? What do you mean by help?" Michelle questioned Sebastian.

"You mean to tell us that you hired someone?" Bob asked, starting to feel a little doubtful about Sebastian's intentions. "Who did you call then? If not the Tekken Force, then I take you reached out to some kid of mercenary or whatever" the chubby man stated.

"Mercenary is an overstatement, my round friend. And that person is in fact a woman" Sebastian answered, much to everyone's surprise. "Indeed. She is an assassin. And I hired her to bring a vehicle here and get us out of this place" he continued on telling everyone about his motives for seeking assistance.

"An assassin!? And you didn't even notify me!?" Lili was fuming with outrage in what her butler had done.

Quickly Sebastian bowed his head towards Lili in all formality. "A thousand of apologies, madame. But given the predicament we found ourselves in, I thought this was the right thing to do in order to ensure your safety and well-being. Besides, that woman will do anything for money…..as long as her services are being paid, that is" the butler informed the young girl.

For some reason, Xiaoyu was quickly remined about someone. Therefore, she decided to ask Sebastian about this certain assassin. "Excuse me, Sebastian. But this assassin wouldn't happen to be a serious and grouchy blondie, by any chance?" the Chinese girl asked him plainly.

Hearing this also made Michelle recall correctly who she was talking about. "A serious and grouchy blondie? Oh no, you hired that cold-hearted and self-righteous…" the Native American woman was about to tell everyone who that person was.

But as she did ask Sebastian that, everyone in the group could hear the voices of something coming towards them from outside the forest they were hiding. Out in the open and standing on the road, a line of Tekken Force soldiers were emerging out of hiding, each of them ready to go and attack the fighters.

"There! Those are the informants! Get them!" a captain commanded his subordinates, and they readied their weapons to fire.

"Shit! They're still coming after us!" Hwoarang cursed by what he was seeing.

"And they're really serious about firing their weapons now!" Ganryu spoke up, the Sumo wrestler himself feeling incredibly distressed with what he was seeing.

While the group of fighters were all worried about the approaching soldiers, they were oblivious to what was about to happen right now. Given that the enemy soldiers were standing on the road, they were soon sent flying by what appeared to by a big vehicle, more specifically a van. The van came driving from the right. It was a white Toyota HiAce SLWB Van 2017 model. Since the soldiers had not caught wind of how fast it was speeding, they all suffered the consequences of being swept like dead prey. But the van soon stopped and the group of fighters became cautious.

"What the hell happened just now?" Asuka wondered as she and the others soon watched the van's backdoors on both sides open automatically. Even the trunk was opened.

Sebastian immediately took note of what this meant. "Ahh finalement! She arrived at last!" the butler exclaimed and looked to his young mistress and her newfound friends. "Rest easy, everyone! This is the one I hired to come and rescue us!" the butler informed the fighters.

While Lili remained skeptical, she had to admit the timing for the van to arrive was perfect. "Not exactly the right type of escape vehicle, but it's still better than nothing" the rich girl remarked.

Bob stepped forward, as did some of the other fighters such as Ganryu, Steve and Julia. "Then what are we all waiting for? Let's get inside before more of those Tekken Force bandits show up!" the blonde-haired man encouraged everyone, and he was the first to run up to the van.

Given their round sizes, Bob and Ganryu got into the van from the trunk. There were no seats, expect for the two driver seats in the front. Still, everyone got inside, squeezing against each other in order to make room for everyone. Sebastian took his place in the passenger seat on the front, sitting beside the woman he had "employed" to get them out of Kamida. As soon as everyone was inside, the doors closed and they were locked. Then, the van sped through on the road, going faster than what was permitted in these areas.

Given that they were practically standing, all the fighters lost balance and fell, thus forcing to cling into each other. It was not looking good.

"Woah! Drive slowly will ya!?" Bob complained as he was forced into the trunk, with Julia, Michelle and some others hanging upon him for support.

The woman who drove simply ignored the complaint. "This is no time to be ungrateful! Be thankful that you are alive!" she berated Bob with a voice so cold and hardened that it made Bob wonder who she was.

Lili managed to get a glimpse of this person, and she was stunned. The same thing could be said for the rest of the group. "Hold on just a minute! You're that bride from the tournament! You're the one whom Sebastian hired!?" she exclaimed her disbelief with what she was seeing.

Yes, the woman who indeed was driving the van was none other than Nina Williams. While still dressed in her bridal outfit, she had somehow removed her wedding veil, thus exposing her blonde hair. Nina briefly looked in the mirror to get a view of her "passengers".

"I take it you recognize me. Well, most of you do. And now that you know, deal with it and shut up" Nina rudely told them.

Michelle felt herself getting agitated by what she heard the stern blondie tell them. "Tch…...of course it had to be you. What you would not do for money" she said sarcastically, yet Nina simply chose to ignore the comment.

"Indeed. Madame Nina Williams is one of the greatest tacticians and escape artists whose services are greatly valued. That is the reason why I hired her" Sebastian told everyone in the back, looking over to the assassin and nodded her head formally. "You saved us from certain capture at the hands of the Mishima Zaibatsu. For that, you have my gratitude. Merci beaucoup" the butler thanked her.

Still, Nina remained unfazed. "I thought I made it clear to you in our phone conversation earlier, butler. I'm only doing this for the money, not out of pity for your pointless search. Otherwise, I would've left you to die back there. After all, getting the Tekken Force to your location was my doing after all" she spoke while revealing something she had done, much to everyone's outrage.

Xiaoyu felt herself getting worked up. "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO SENT THE TEKKEN FORCE TO THIS PLACE!? YOU SELFISH JERK!" she snapped at her.

"YEAH! WHY LURING THOSE BASTARDS TO THINK WE WERE SOME KIND OF INFORMANTS OF WHATEVER THE HELL THE REBELS ARE!?" Hwoarang joined in on the outrage.

"AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK WE SHOULD EVEN TRUST YOU!?" Asuka demanded to know from Nina.

The assassin was having enough of this complaining. "You shut your mouths, punks! I simply lured the squadron here to distract your pursuers so you could escape! There's nothing to feel ungrateful for!" Nina reprimanded the three, although she was also including the entire group as a whole. "That's right. I know the reason this Claudio Serafino and his hired mercenaries are after you three. He thinks each of you have some links to Jin Kazama. But truth be told, I'm also among those persons of interest that exorcist wants" Nina spoke up what she knew.

The moment Xiaoyu heard that, her head hung slightly in shame. But on the other hand, Hwoarang and Asuka were furious with the way Nina spoke to them. As a matter of fact, Hwoarang even started to realize who Nina actually was.

"Hold the phone. I know who you really were! When Jin ruled the Zaibatsu, you were one of his top groupies!" the Korean man pointed a finger towards the driver. "That's right! You assisted him with committing all those atrocities!" he added to his accusation.

"So?" that was the only response Hwoarang got from Nina, and he was dumbfounded. "Having nothing else to say, I guess. Good" the assassin added.

Bob only huffed with what he was hearing, and he couldn't stomach the feeling of having to hear someone like Nina being employed by Jin Kazama. "You're saying Jin employed you to be his bodyguard? Tch, I bet he only did that for sex appeal" the chubby man tried to come up with a jab.

Hearing this made Nina narrow her eyes, even though she was focused on the road ahead of them. "You're two seconds from wearing that smile around your ass" she coldly replied, showing no remorse in her actions.

"Let's get to the bottom of this issue" Julia suggested and looked at Nina while adjusting her glasses. "Will you take us to Kyoto?" the brunette questioned Nina.

"Yes. But once we're there, we will go our separate ways. I've no interest in whatever treasure hunt you're doing. So this trip only lasts so much" Nina quickly responded to that question.

Hearing this made Julia smile with satisfaction. "Perfect! That means we'll be able to find Violet System's HQ and seek out Lee Chaolan's assistance" she thought to herself.

But while most of these fighters had different reactions to Nina and her "saving" them from getting shot by the Tekken Force, Steve was having his own thoughts about the Irish assassin. True, there was a particular reason for why the British boxer was feeling this way. In order to for him to learn more of his past, Steve had dug into some files during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4. In those files, it was revealed how Steve was born through vitro-fertilization. But the woman whose name came up in those files was Nina Williams. Since then, Steve constantly wondered whether he and Nina could possess some biological links to one another. What if they were…...related to one another by blood?

"I have waited too long to do this. But I know what must be done. Once we're in Kyoto, I will confront you" Steve thought, clutching unto his left sleeve, where the long scar across his left arm ran. "You may be able to act tough upon these people, but it won't work on me. I know that you have the answers I seek and you're gonna tell me everything, one way or another" the young man kept figuring out his plans to uncover the truth.

The van kept driving on the road to Old Nakasendo and down towards Nakatsugawa. Hopefully, they would return to the Chuo Expressway and drive towards Kyoto, this time with no monster trucks chasing them.

 _To be continued…_


	24. An Invitation of Deception

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: An Invitation of Deception**

 _On top of Mount Hiei, Kyoto, Japan_

The sun was going down in Japan, yet the view of it was even better from the top of Mount Hiei near Kyoto. On this place sat Wang Jinrei, the elderly martial arts master. He was actually sitting and meditating while facing the wonderful view before him. Since arriving in Kyoto via the shinkansen, Wang had decided to rest peacefully on Mount Hiei, given that he needed a break from the humongous city life. Places like this were much more preferable than the crowdy places in Kyoto. Still, Wang intended to return to the city, in hopes of finding Violet System's HQ and meet with Lee Chaolan. But for now, peace and relaxation were on the elderly man's agenda.

"What a lovely view. I still remember how me and Jinpachi would always go to places like this to have our drinks. Ah, those were wonderful times" Wang recalled fond memories he could never let go of, no matter how old he was getting each passing day.

Wang continued to gaze out and watch as the sun went down in the horizon. At the same time, the elderly man shut his weary eyes, as if he was trying to sleep. It was apparent that he now wanted to get in touch with the nature around him, something which suited him well.

But unbeknownst to Wang himself, someone had been watching him meditate not from afar. This individual slowly began sneaking up to him, assuming that Wang had not heard a sound. But before that person could even launch an attack from behind, some words were uttered out by the aging man himself.

"Why are you disturbing my relaxation?" Wang asked the person, who was none other than the female vampire called Eliza.

When she heard that, Eliza quickly snapped in slight shock. She couldn't believe it. Wang was having his back at her and his eyes closed, yet he had still managed to notice Eliza's presence. The young woman did not know how to respond to this.

"H-how did y-you know I w-was here!?" Eliza asked while fumbling between her words.

Despite having caught her, Wang was still sitting with his eyes shut. "It is simple. I could feel your presence for a short while when I arrived at this place. And not only that, I can smell blood coming from you, young girl" Wang answered plainly.

While she did back up a little, Eliza was not done with Wang just yet. She wanted to know more about this man she had never seen before. "There is no question. You are no ordinary human being" Eliza spoke, taking small steps towards Wang once again. "Just who in the world are you, old man?" she questioned him warily.

Hearing this made Wang chuckle beneath his long, white beard. "You really are persistent. Very well, I will tell you my name. My name is Wang Jinrei, and I come from China" he introduced himself, his back still facing the female vampire. "And who might you be, young lady? Judging by your voice and accent, you don't seem to be from around here" he was now asking Eliza.

Although feeling slightly annoyed at his passive behavior, Eliza decided to respond as he wished. "My name…is Eliza" she responded lowly, starting to even walk past the sitting man.

Finally, Wang opened his eyes to get a look at this mysterious woman that had stumbled upon him. "Eliza…quite a fascinating name you there, youngster" he remarked, yet he was stunned once he got to get a good look at Eliza's appearance. Somehow, it terrified him to some extent. Who was this girl? "Goodness, what sort of curse has befallen upon you? I do not know what it is, but you almost look like…...someone with the Devil Gene inside" he noted warily, seeing some resemblance between Eliza and the Devil's curse.

When she heard that, Eliza furiously glared at Wang. "I am no nothing of the kind! You are sadly mistaking me for something else" she snapped at him, yet Eliza soon calmed herself, even forming a smug expression with her lips and eyes. "Rather, I am a vampire. One who craves nothing but blood. And right now, my tongue longs for something to lick on" she went on telling Wang what she wanted.

Despite hearing Eliza trying to act all seductive towards Wang, he was not swayed by her charms. Rather, he was more interested in the fact that he was looking at a living vampire. "You actually drink blood? Oh my, I cannot imagine how desperate you must be in order to…." Wang was speaking, yet he was surprised to see the vampire standing there asleep. The elderly man couldn't believe this. "Hmmm…...how peculiar…a vampire who actually sleeps" he noted.

But Eliza's snores soon ended, and she immediately woke up. "Wah! Not again! I can't keep going on with this!" the young woman felt herself irritated by the fact she was falling asleep.

"May I come up with a suggestion for you? You should drink tea instead of blood" Wang told Eliza, giving her advice as if they had become friends.

This forced the vampire to glare at him with a scowl, almost as if she was disgusted with what he had told her. She even stuck out her tongue. "Bleh! Tea is completely disgusting! It doesn't bring me any…satisfaction" Eliza responded, soon reverting back to her seductive and cunning nature. "That being said, I desperately need blood as soon as possible. And since I can't seem to find anyone to feast upon…...I'll feast upon you" she then said, her eyes focused on Wang as if he was her prey.

The Chinese man couldn't quite understand Eliza's lust for blood, let alone why she wanted him. "Why would you be interested in taking an old man like me? These days, I have nothing but frail bones and little blood to contribute" Wang pointed out to the vampire.

"Age is irrelevant to my desire for blood, old fool. I myself have lived on this world through 1000 years!" Eliza exclaimed boastfully, trying to bring fear into Wang.

"Is that so? But dearie me, you look so…...young" the elderly man noted. "In fact, you look even too toned and youthful to be even considered that old. If you were that, you would have been wrinkled and senile such as me" Wang added with humor, much to the fuming of Eliza.

"Insolent creature! I am a vampire, not a human! My lifespan has no meaning, since cretins like you are beneath me! Now, you are in for a punishment for these demeaning words, and I will see to you receiving it…." Eliza verbally assaulted and threatened Wang, yet once again fell into sleep while standing.

And since Eliza was standing at the edge of the cliff, she eventually fell off, the vampire still asleep. But the fall was not that high and Eliza lied on the ground snoring onto it. Wang had gotten to the edge and was looking down at the sleeping woman. While a part of him wanted to go and see if she was doing okay, Wang felt like it was needlessly rude to interrupt Eliza in her sleep. And because of her snoring so loud, it only confirmed to him that she was indeed alive.

"Poor lady. You may have been awake all night. No wonder you are so sleepy. Maybe you should sleep for a couple of days to regain your energy" the Chinese man noted before returning to his place to continue resting.

As the evening approached the land before him, Wang was slowly getting into sleep while sitting all silently. True, it had been quite a day for the elderly man, so he felt the need to save his energy. Being very old and travelling to places was heavy for someone such powerful as Wang Jinrei. Even so, he stubbornly continued with this quest of his. If he could not directly oppose either Kazuya or Heihachi, then he could find a solution to put an end to this feud. After all, he was doing this as a favor for someone he knew long ago. Suddenly, the wind started to blow in his face, and something happened. It was as if things around the elderly man was changing.

"It has already begun…..." Wang opened his weary eyes, yet he didn't look to his right in order to see who was standing beside him. "The divination that me and my clan had heard about Heihachi and Kazuya causing chaos and suffering…...has finally become a reality" the female voice added, sounding very grim in the process.

The woman who spoke while standing beside the sitting Wang was none other than Kazumi Mishima, the deceased wife of Heihachi, as well as the mother of Kazuya. She was looking as beautiful as she had always been. But Kazumi was not alone. Standing beside her was a large tiger, which Kazumi was seen petting its head. The tiger seemed to appreciate it and it purred in satisfaction, not in the same manner a domesticated cat would, of course.

"What a coincidence in seeing you here, young Kazumi" Wang uttered out such kind words as if he was not surprised by her sudden appearance. But he soon found himself forming a frown. "You may wonder why I am here on Mount Hiei. I just took a little detour and sought out the peace from this place. I intend staying here for a little while. You know how I just cannot stand staying too much in the cities" he told her what he was doing.

Kazumi sighed deeply as she looked at the old man sitting near her. "I hate to be asking so much from you, Master Wang Jinrei. But outside my family, you are the only one I could trust. My family has already been torn apart by hatred and resentment. Even Jinpachi has suffered" she said, the Japanese beauty hanging her head in sadness. "And all of this…...is because of me…...because of that one night. I wish I could take everything back and throw it away" Kazumi lamented, her sadness and sorrow taking hold upon her.

Slowly, Wang moved his head and looked at the stunning woman and her pet tiger. "There is nothing you should be blamed for, Kazumi. However, if there is someone who should take the blame for all this darkness encroaching upon our world, then it is the Hachijo clan. I used to believe that they were noble people. But after learning more from the secrets Jinpachi hid from me, I know now who they truly were. As such…it is hard for me to put the blame on you" he told her, knowing that Kazumi was still listening to what was being said.

A single tear was seen running across her right cheek. Apparently, Kazumi was thinking about an episode that would change her family for generations. "I am at loss of what to do. I would agree with the Hachijo clan about preventing chaos such as this…...but I would never agree to turning my family against each other. But then again, I never got the chance to choose my life. It had already been decided" Kazumi said this with honesty, her mind conflicted.

As the Japanese beauty was standing close to him, Wang could see Kazumi's tiger stare at him with his usual naturalistic expression. Seeing the tiger actually made Wang smile beneath his long beard.

"Ah, I am so glad to see you again too, Tora. You still look as if you are in your prime. Oh, how I remember you and Kuma always playing together in the gardens of the Mishima compound" Wang recalled back to some memories, saying the name of the tiger and began petting it. The large animal purred, indicating that it appreciated the old man's touch on his whiskers.

Kazumi began walking towards the edge of the cliff, with her pet tiger accompanying her. Both she and Tora turned around to look at the sitting man before them. Although she had been very sad just now, Kazumi's spirits were lifted when she saw the elderly man's weak but reassuring smile.

"Fear not, young Kazumi. Despite what I have learned about that night, it does not change my mind. I will still seek a way to help you, in any way I possibly can" Wang told her, his smile never vanishing.

Kazumi bowed her head before Wang in a formal manner. "You have my eternal gratitude, Master Wang. As much as I would like to assist, I fear that my must do something very important. But know this, I will correct the mistakes I have done…when the time is right. But right now, I must go on a journey alone" she told him with humility in her voice.

Wang weakly nodded his head in return. "I understand. You and Tora take good care for now. And say hello to Jinpachi for me. Tell him that I will be there to meet him again soon" he then told her, causing Kazumi to surprisingly giggle at him in amusement.

The stunning Japanese beauty sat on the back of Tora, taking one final glance at Wang. "I most certainly will. Until we meet again, a fond farewell to you…...revered master" those were the last words coming out of Kazumi's mouth before her tiger started jumping up into the air, as if it was flying.

The old Chinese man looked up and watched as the pair disappeared in the dark clouds. He closed his eyes again, this time returning to his senses. Apparently, this brief conversation he had been having with Kazumi was another vision. For a very particular reason, she had been sending them to him instead of her family.

Sleeping in the moonlight, Wang gathered his energy, realizing that he would need to move to Kyoto quickly if he was to go and see Lee and others Wang knew he could trust.

* * *

 _In a bar in Kyoto, Japan_

The news about the Mishima Zaibatsu's satellite death ray reducing the Millennium Tower to dust had quickly spread across Japan, if not the entire world. Pictures of the destroyed area, as well as Kazuya in his Devil form were on full display for the viewers to see. People in the streets of Kyoto could see the news on giant television screens, but they were not the only ones. Even those sitting in a bar were notified of the attack.

Among those who had been watching the news coverage was the aggressive Spaniard: Miguel Caballero Rojo. Since arriving in Kyoto via the shinkansen, Miguel had wandered from street to street, lamenting his failure in finding the whereabouts of Jin Kazama. Now, Miguel was drinking his sorrows in booze, at this rate not caring whether he got drunk or not. In fact, he could be seen drinking tequila at the counter, and he never stopped.

But Miguel soon got enough of being stuck in the bar and went outside, not uttering one word towards the bartender or any people he passed by. They could see that he was slightly entering a phase of drunken rage. Keeping their distance from him was perhaps the wisest way to avoid confrontation with him. As he walked, the Spanish man thought about the recent attack on Kazuya and the G Corp. Although he had worked for him in the past, Miguel felt no obligation to be supportive towards him, especially given the fact he was Jin's father.

"So, Kazuya got blasted from above? Tch, serves him right for fathering an inbred halfwit such as Jin Kazama!" Miguel muttered, angrily kicking a can away while walking. He was slightly intoxicated, yet he still knew where he was going. "Mierda! I still have no clue to where I can find that killer! And all this booze is making me wanna…" he cursed in a drunken rage, yet soon found himself on the verge of throwing up.

Quickly, Miguel entered an alley to not only be by himself, but to also throw up in a trash container. It was so disgusting, yet Miguel didn't seem to care. After being done with that, the Spaniard had decided to stay in the alley for a while, as walking amongst the crowds and listening to the traffic had only helped in stoking his anger, let alone his hangover. Hopefully, he would get some peace to himself without being disturbed. While the place stank, it was preferable for someone as solitary as Miguel. He sat beside the trash container, facing the asphalt with empty eyes. Slowly, the influence of alcohol began disappearing from his head.

"Coño. Perhaps finding Jin Kazama is perhaps not in my best interest after all. I haven't even begun taking this search seriously enough" Miguel slowly came to a conclusion, having so many thoughts in his head. He didn't even know what to feel right now. "Maybe I should go back to España. There's nothing for me to do in this fucked up country" he added, his mind getting sleepier due to the intoxication that was starting to disappear.

But as he sat there, something caught his attention. It was a voice he was very familiar with, despite being slightly intoxicated. It came to him from his right. Not wanting to be seen, Miguel hid himself behind the trash container. However, he did take a little peek to see who that person was. He scowled.

Walking in the alleyway was the young Filipina named Josie Rizal. But she was not alone. Accompanying her were two soldiers of the Tekken Force. However, these soldiers were different from the average ones, as they had the head of a lion as an emblem on their chests. Miguel wondered why Josie was with those men, despite the fact that she had been fired and cast out of the Tekken Force. While they both had been on the same shinkansen and gotten off at Kyoto, they each had gone their separate ways. Miguel decided to eavesdrop on them, in hopes of finding out why he was with those soldiers.

"So let me get this straight" Josie told the two soldiers as they stood in the middle of the alley, assuming they were alone. "You want me to join you in this resistance-movement of yours?" she questioned them while putting her hands on her hips.

"Exactly! Given the many injustices we have witnessed Heihachi and his cronies commit, a squadron of the Tekken Force has broken away from his rule. We are among those troops in that squadron. The resistance-movement we speak of is called Yggdrasil" the first soldier explained to her.

Josie didn't know what to believe, as she was deeply skeptical about their offer. "Okay. But I'm still not sure if I follow you right. I mean, who is your leader?" she questioned them sternly.

"Yggdrasil's leader is a man of justice and honor. A former officer in the Tekken Force. You may have heard his name before. The Swedish man named Lars Alexandersson" the second soldier informed Josie, who was completely stunned.

"Lars Alexandersson…...you mean the rebel who resisted against Jin Kazama?" Josie uttered out the name of the man she had admired. "But I thought he was dead" she then said.

"That's something Heihachi wants you to believe in. He always wants his subordinates to think that his greatest threats are dead. But it's all lies. Lars is still alive, and he's leading us against the Zaibatsu" the first soldier told Josie, deciding to get more detailed with the young girl. "Listen, we understand that you do not trust us. But we feel like it's the right thing to inform you of Yggdrasil and its existence. You do realize why we do this. Heihachi has gone too far with his shenanigans. People are still dying from the worldwide war he has continued. And now he has declared himself the victor. Surely you know what that means, don't you?" he added with an explanation.

Josie weakly nodded her head in response. "I understand. And believe me, I do feel miserable for what he has done to me and the world as a whole. But I'm having it difficult to put my trust in strangers. No offense to you, guys" the Filipina admitted, facing the asphalt with a downed expression. "I don't mean to be rude or anything. But I looked up to Heihachi, believing he was a great man who could make your dreams come true" she expressed her dismay with Heihachi.

"We can see that. And in fact, you have a right to feel that way. And we won't force you to join Yggdrasil. It has to be your own calling. But know that you still have friends left among us former members of the Tekken Force" the other soldier assured Josie.

She smiled as a result. "Thanks for the encouragement. I really needed it" Josie thanked him, yet she wanted to know more about these two men. "But if I change my mind and wish to join you, where do I go?" she asked them.

"You'll find us at the HQ of Violet Systems. We take it you know where that is" the first soldier responded.

Josie's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean that tall skyscraper? Gosh, it's the same one me and my squadron…...I mean former squadron infiltrated in order to find and apprehend Lee Chaolan. If that's where you're hiding, then I definitely know where to find you guys" she exclaimed with a gleeful smile.

Realizing that they had done enough, the soldiers took their leave. "Very well. Take care of yourself from now on, Josie Rizal. And remember, soldiers who don't wear this lion head as an emblem are not our friends. So be careful whom you speak with. Japan is still under the grip of the Mishima Zaibatsu" one of them told her before leaving.

"Oh, you bet I will! And thanks for sharing this info with me! You've no idea how happy I'm right now! And trust me, I will come to you when the time is right!" Josie thanked them while waving goodbye. Her spirits had been lifted thanks to the information she had received from those soldiers.

Despite watching the events unfold behind the trash container, Miguel didn't wanna go to Josie and reveal himself. Right now, he just wanted to see what the Filipina would do now that she was alone. From the looks of it, Josie seemed sort of relieved to what those soldiers had told her.

"So I'm not the only one who has been a victim of Heihachi's schemes. How could I've been so dumb to fall for his lies and praises!?" Josie was apparently angry with herself. But she soon breathed out a deep sigh, thus calming her rage. "My family was right. I was so naïve to believe that the Zaibatsu would consider me a valuable asset. As soon as I had outlived my usefulness, they disposed of me as if I was a replaceable tool" she recalled a conversation she had been having with her family back on the Philippines.

As Miguel watched Josie realizing the mistake she made, a part of him surprisingly wanted to go and comfort the young girl. Why, he was not so sure. But he still felt a grudge against her for being a member in the Tekken Force. Therefore, she deserved to feel sad as she did right now.

But the Filipina sucked it up and fixed a confident look in her eyes. "Alright! Heihachi and Kuma may have stabbed me in the back with that trick he pulled, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stand here and cry all day and night! That old man deserves to get punished. And I'm gonna do that by joining Yggdrasil! That will show him how wrong he was to cross me!" Josie exclaimed, feeling an urge to get back at Heihachi and his pet bear, who was technically his former commander.

Josie left the alley, not wanting to be stuck in an isolated place. She quickly returned to the street and started mingling in the crowds. Knowing that the coast was clear, Miguel appeared from the container. He was now alone in the alley, yet he had to summarize in what he had overheard just now.

"There actually exist a squadron of the Tekken Force who're against the Zaibatsu? I don't completely buy that, but I really need to see it for myself" the Spaniard said, yet there was something else bugging him. He suddenly got a realization. "Hold on, those soldiers and their emblem…..I've seen them somewhere before….." Miguel admitted, thinking about the symbol he had seen on those soldiers.

He was thinking back to the time the G Corp had forcefully conscripted him into catching Jin and his allies. During a fight near a helicopter wreckage, soldiers wearing a lion's head as an emblem appeared. Miguel had first assumed them to be of the Tekken Force. But now, everything became clearer. They were rebels. Jin had been assisted by rebels of the Tekken Force.

"Hijo de puta…you're hiding with them, aren't you!?" Miguel expressed his resentment when thinking about Jin, as he had come to a realization. "No wonder you're impossible to find! Despite all the wrongdoings you've done, you still have friends helping you!" he added as he walked out of the ally and back into the streets.

Along the way, Miguel bumped into many pedestrians. As much as they wanted to scold him and tell him to look where he was going, the Spaniard's aggressive attitude made them afraid to do so. As such, they simply let him go. But Miguel still continued to growl and bump rudely into any pedestrian he came across. Now, he was furious, as he knew who where to possibly find Jin.

"I'll find you, Jin Kazama! I'll fucking find you! You can't hide from me no more!" Miguel thought, feeling his moment of vengeance coming closer to him. "All that I need to do is to find where the Violet Systems' HQ is. When I've found it, I will begin searching for wherever the hell that gilipollas is!" the Spaniard's thoughts were filled with angry determination.

He would not rest until he saw Jin lying dead. And if someone dared to stand in his way? Miguel would simply beat them up too. In his mind, his deceased sister deserved to be avenged, so he would not let such an opportunity slip away.

* * *

 _At Kansai International Airport, Osaka Bay, Japan_

This large airport, built on a peninsula outside the city in Osaka Bay, used to be quite a busy place. But due to recent events, including the death ray blast upon the G Corp's HQ in Tokyo, the entire airport was on lockdown. All those passengers who had been expecting to leave Osaka had their flights delayed or cancelled. But for those who had arrived at the city, there were no problems. They were free to leave the airport and do whatever they wanted.

Among those visitors who had arrived at the airport was the Vale Tudo fighter: Craig Marduk. He had changed his looks since being discharged, as he wore a turquoise long, openly hoodie with the sleeves ripped off into sleeveless and the designs of gold and purple, a white and purple shirt with the purple and black short sleeve on the left while the other sleeve was sleeveless. His MMA shorts were black and silver on the right and light green with bright green designs on the left. He also wore purple and black MMA fingerless gloves and was accessorize with loose silver chained necklaces. Not only that, Marduk had even grown a long facial beard. Someone had payed for him to be transferred to a hospital in Seoul, South Korea. It was with that person, Marduk had traveled to Osaka just now.

The people he had been traveling with were South Korean Taekwondo fighters. The first one was none other than the famous master named Baek Doo San, who was also Howarang's teacher in Taekwondo. He wore his usual formal suit and a hat on his head. But Baek was not alone, as he had been joined by a young Korean woman with long dark brown hair with long half fringes at the left side, white skin and black eyes. She wore a silver thermal short jacket with a white high-neck sleeveless midriff, short black leather shorts and different shades of gray sneakers and light pink soles. Her gloves were white and orange with a blue nine-tailed fox design on front. Who was she?

Currently, the trio found themselves at a place by the sea called Izumisano. Given the enormous traffic, Baek had hoped to find an alternative to reach. With Marduk's help, they had managed to find a ride via boat. Now they were waiting for it to happen.

"So, this is it?" Marduk asked the two Koreans as he searched for any approaching boats. "He'll come pick us up at this soulless place? I don't know what, but it looks kinda abandoned" the tall man added, having difficulties in finding a ship given how dark it was.

Baek nodded his head at him in return. "It's the only option we have. Most of the official docks on this peninsula are tightly secured. But here at Izumisano, no one will bother looking. That's why the boatman wanted to come here" Baek replied, before looking at the Korean woman beside him. "Shuwawei, you have the money prepared for him, right?" he then asked the woman by her name.

Shuwawei nodded her head at him. "Certainly, Master Baek. While this may not be the most normal way of entering Osaka, its much preferable because of the endless lines in the traffic. In this case, traveling by boat is much faster" she informed Baek and Marduk at the same time.

Baek had to chuckle when hearing this. "Heh, it's good to have you back at my side once again, girl. It's been a long time since we did business together" the middle-aged man remarked.

Marduk raised an eyebrow in hearing this. "Hold the phone, are you saying that this chick was also in the South Korean military?" he questioned him while making a gesture with his thumb.

Shuwawei rested her hands on her hips with a slight disapproving glance towards him. "Excuse me, sir. But I would have appreciated if you didn't refer to me as something so derogatory as that. I have a name after all" she pointed out to him sternly, yet Marduk didn't seem to grasp what she was talking about.

Baek intervened between them, thus defusing the conflict. "Easy there, Shuwawei. This kid's only asking you out of admiration. Cut him some slack" he told the young woman before answering Marduk. "And as for your question, yes. Shuwawei did serve in the military as a medic. As a matter of fact, she trained some of the soldiers in Taekwondo alongside me. But even before that, this woman and I have known each other for quite some time" he explained everything to Marduk.

Marduk whistled in amazement, thus confirming how interesting this was for him to hear. He even gave the Korean woman a thumbs up. "Good for you then, cutie!" he commended her, much to Shuwawei's confusion.

"You always this jumpy?" she wondered to herself.

"Nope" Marduk quickly responded to her.

Suddenly, Baek seemed to spot something in the sea, and he could tell that it was someone coming towards them. "Heads up, guys! There's our ride!" he exclaimed with a smile and waved his arms in the air. He was soon joined by Shuwawei and Marduk, who did the same thing with theirs.

The ship that was docking at Izumisano was a Japanese pleasure boat, also known as a yakatabune. There were lights on the boat and someone was rowing from behind. But on the other hand, there was a person sitting under the yakatabune's roof. It was a man wearing a jaguar's mask. It was King! Marduk was incredibly relieved to see his best friend on the boat.

Using a ladder, the Australian man climbed himself down to get onboard the yakatabune. Once onboard, Marduk immediately embraced his partner in a tight hug.

"There you are, King! Boy, am I glad to see ya!" Marduk exclaimed, although King felt a little bit awkward with this embrace. Even so, the masked luchador didn't do anything to make Marduk stop.

"I'm glad to see you too, Marduk" King told him, yet he was stunned to see his best friend's new look. This was especially his long facial beard. "Dios mío…when did you get that beard?" he asked him in astonishment.

Marduk grinned smugly in response. "I told ya, everything on me keeps growing fast. That also includes my facial beard. But I just didn't feel like shaving it. Truth be told, I look cool, don't I?" he replied.

King didn't know what to say, yet he felt like a compliment was required in order to satisfy Marduk's cry of acknowledgement. "Yes. It does look good on you, honestly" he told him.

Soon, Baek and Shuwawei got onboard the yakatabune. The man rowing the boat received his payment and began rowing out into Osaka Bay. The two Koreans then introduced themselves to King, who didn't seem to know them very much, especially Shuwawei. Baek was amazed to know the fact that he was speaking to a different King than the one he had fought against during the first two King of Iron Fist Tournaments.

"Now I get it! So you're the former King's successor? I must say, you and him do look alike in terms of physique. I fought against both him and Armor King during the first tournaments" Baek expressed his amazement with what he was hearing the wrestler tell of himself.

King, in turn, was amazed by how Baek was one of the veterans of the first tournaments. "You're also a veteran? Interesting. And yes, I have been keeping up the previous King's legacy, including his orphanage. That place is what he strived to build, and I intend on continuing it" the Mexican man said.

Shuwawei decided to introduce herself for King. "I have no experience nor interest in the King of Iron Fist Tournaments, but I'm a Taekwondo master. My name is Shuwawei. I've heard so much about this orphanage you own, King" the Korean woman told him.

King nodded his head at them, yet he suddenly realized that he had forgotten something. Facing both Shuwawei and Baek, King humbly bowed his head before them. "I know this is too late to say this, but I thank both of you so much for paying Marduk's medical bills. It helped me relieve some of the stress that's been building upon me, lately" he thanked them, feeling more than grateful to what the Koreans had done for him.

Baek simply smiled in hearing this, so did Shuwawei. "It was only our pleasure. We realized that most of the well-known fighters of the world was in the tournament, except for Marduk. So, we were more than happy to pay for his medical bills. He and you could be helpful to us while we're in Japan" he told the luchador.

"I understand. Now that reminds me, what brings both of you to Japan, anyway? You may have realized that Heihachi faked his death and called off the tournament" King wanted to know the reason the Koreans were in Japan.

"True. We watched everything on the news. But me and Master Baek had no intention of coming here because of the tournament" Shuwawei pointed it out to make sure King didn't get the wrong idea.

Baek weakly nodded his head in agreement. "She's right. You see, I'm the owner of a Taekwondo dojo back in Seoul. You may not know this, but my student at my dojo is also a regular in the King of Iron Fist Tournaments. His name is Hwoarang" the middle-aged man revealed to not just King, but Marduk as well.

Marduk was confused. "Who the hell is that?" he asked, yet he was given dirty looks by the two Koreans and King. They didn't appreciate his choice of words. "I'm sorry…I meant to say: I don't know who that is" the muscular man apologized while correcting his sentences.

Baek soon found himself chuckling a little as he spoke the name of his impulsive student. "Don't worry. I'm not expecting each of you guys to know that punk's identity" he told them with a hint of humor in his voice. "But anyway, I have begun noticing how Hwoarang has been doing reckless things throughout the years. And it's not just getting into gang fights in the streets of Seoul or something. But its also about entering these tournaments since the third one" the Taekwondo master explained.

Shuwawei looked at him in shock. "Don't tell me that you blame yourself for not being there to stop him, Master Baek. It's not your fault. He was impulsive and too hotheaded" the Korean woman pointed out, yet she felt herself lowering her face slightly. "But then again, he did that because he first believed you had died to Ogre at that time" she then admitted.

When King heard that name being mentioned, his gaze was fixated upon Baek. "Ogre. You also fought that thing? But if so…...then that means you survived" he was stunned to hear that.

As reluctant as he was to answer, Baek felt like King and Marduk were trustworthy. "Yes. I did fight Ogre, but I lost. Even so, the battle almost cost me my own life. However, I was only in a coma for many years. And Hwoarang never knew about it until later" the Korean man answered plainly. But there was another reason for why he had decided to answer them, especially with regards to King. "Speaking of which, I heard what happened with your predecessor. He also went down in his fight against Ogre. You have my condolences, King" Baek then said.

King fully understood this, given that the previous King had fought and died to Ogre in battle. "Thank you. And truth be told, I can sympathize with what your student did during that tournament. I was after the same thing once in avenging the previous King" the luchador told the Taekwondo master.

Marduk, who wanted to change the subject before they lost track of what was really important, decided to speak up. "Now about this Hwoarang-guy. Are you that concerned for his wellbeing? Just asking out of curiosity, that is" the Vale Tudo fighter asked Baek.

The Taekwondo master nodded his head as a yes. "Not just that. Ever since me and Hwoarang got reunited, he has been having this extreme fixation upon defeating Jin Kazama. You see, after the previous tournament, he traveled to the Middle East in hopes of finding Jin, since somebody had tipped him of his whereabouts. But he got into trouble with the G Corp who were pursuing that madman" Baek explained, having so much reluctance in speaking this. But he felt like it was the right thing for him to do. "Hwoarang was almost killed by a grenade, yet he narrowly escaped it. But it cost him his right eye" the master revealed to the two fighters.

"You mean he damaged his eye? Man, that sounds painful! I can't imagine how it would've felt!" Marduk expressed his dismay.

King, on the other hand, was slowly beginning to recollect his memories. "I think I know who that person you're looking for is. You said his right eye was damaged, correct? Well, I recall one of the contestants wearing an eyepatch" the Mexican man admitted.

Both Baek and Shuwawei were pleased to hear that. "So, you know how he looks like? Good. Did you see where he was heading last time you saw him?" Baek asked him.

The masked man shook his head as a no. "Unfortunately, no. I ran out of the parking garage to take the shinkansen. But your student, as I recall, stayed back with some other contestants. But given what we experienced in Tokyo, I doubt he is still there" King informed the Koreans.

"You are right. But where in the world would Hwoarang go?" Shuwawei wondered before facing Baek. "For all we know, he could be continuing with his pointless search for Jin…..if he's still alive, that is" she stated, unsure of what to confirm.

Baek found himself being given a headache. "Damn that boy. He's so unpredictable" he groaned while rubbing his face for a minute.

Shuwawei looked at King with a smile. "So you traveled to Osaka with the shinkansen? How fascinating. I bet the trip was fast and pleasant" the Korean woman spoke, having an interest in those fast trains on Japan.

"It went smoothly. I only took it so that I could get out of Tokyo as quick as possibly. But the shinkansen wasn't bad. I sat beside someone who had been in the tournament: Wang Jinrei" King told Shuwawei as she listened to what he was being said.

The moment he heard that name, Beak's eyes widened in surprise. "Hold the phone. Did you say.… Wang Jinrei?" he was stunned by hearing it.

Marduk was not getting what was so important. "What's so damn important about that guy? I mean, is he like your friend or something?" he questioned.

This made King glance at him with dispassion, although the expression couldn't be seen because of his jaguar mask. "Marduk…." King muttered to him.

"Sorry, pal. I just wanted to know why he was such a big deal" Marduk replied quickly.

Baek chuckled in seeing Marduk's confusion. "You're just a rookie in the King of Iron Fist Tournaments. No wonder that name's a mystery to you" he remarked.

The Australian man felt offended by that statement. "Hey! I'm no rookie! I've been entering them since the fourth tournament! This one's the only that I've missed because of the hospitalization" Marduk hit back.

"I know. I'm just busting your balls, kid" Baek assured the muscular man, and Marduk calmed himself. "Now, as for what I was about to say, Wang Jinrei is pretty much a veteran of the tournaments. But he's much older than me, let alone being older than Heihachi. Even so, that man's one hell of a fighter. In fact, I learned much from him when we fought during the second tournament" the Taekwondo master recalled what he knew of the Chinese man.

Shuwawei couldn't help but to be intrigued by what she heard. "Now I see. He's the man who was instrumental in making you change your ways, isn't it?" the young woman asked him, only to see Baek sighing. This made her feel that she perhaps misspoke. "I'm terribly sorry, Master Baek! I didn't mean to bring back your…" Shuwawei was interrupted by the voice of the middle-aged man.

"Don't feel bad, Shuwawei. I know you didn't mean it intentionally. But there is some level of truth in your statement, honestly" Baek told her, thinking back to his younger years, when he was a different man than he was now. "Back in the days, I did a lot of things that I'm not proud of. I would often go and pick fights with opposing dojos. But after realizing deep inside how wrong it was, I became a different man" he said, becoming slightly emotional in saying this.

Shuwawei giggled in hearing this. "Well, that explains where Hwoarang gets his brashness from. He takes after you" the young woman told him.

Baek snapped in embarrassment. "What!? That's a lie, Shuwawei! No way I'm similar to him!" the Taekwondo master snapped at her, soon coming to realize what really was at stake now that he was in Japan. "That being said, I intend on finding Hwoarang and bring his ass back before he gets killed. Problem is, I don't know where he could be hiding" he lamented, once again rubbing his face.

"This may be not much of a help, but Wang told me he was going to Kyoto in order to visit some friends of his. While I know that he's irrelevant to your search for your student, Kyoto could be a start" King informed the Korean man, in hopes of assisting him.

"Speaking of which, Marduk here told us that you were once hired by Jin Kazama to do a mission for him? Is that true?" Shuwawei kindly asked the luchador.

Shocked, King looked at Marduk. He only shrugged his shoulders while doing a sorry gesture with his hands. This made King growl in annoyance. "Por favor! Can't you just keep something like that between us?" he groaned, feeling unbelievable in what his best friend had done behind his back.

"But it was she who asked me! So, I couldn't be rude and refuse her. Come on, King. You know that I'm a ladies' man!" Marduk said, before winking at Shuwawei in hopes of charming her.

The Korean woman was slightly disgusted with what she was seeing, yet decided to ignore Marduk's wink. "Now as I was saying. You were working with Jin not long ago, right?" she returned her focus on King.

"True. But it was only for a quick mission. And if you heard what Marduk told you, then you know what happened in the end. Truth be told, the incident above Tokyo was on the news, so you may have gotten knowledge of it" King answered as honest as he could.

"Not to be rude or anything, but I don't see how that Kazama punk is relevant to your search" Marduk said what he thought was right.

Surprisingly for Marduk, the two Koreans seemed to agree with him. "You're actually correct. But Hwoarang continues to believe that he's still alive. Which reminds me…there has been a lit of things happening in Kyoto lately" Baek began pondering something.

"You suggest we go there now?" Shuwawei asked the Taekwondo master.

Baek immediately responded by shaking his head. "No way. We've barley even arrived at Osaka yet. But what I was hoping to do was to gather some clues with what's been happening in Japan lately. I know for a fact that there is more to it than just the Zaibatsu and the G Corp playing games with each other" he told the young woman, only to notice something. He smiled. "Ah, speak of the devil! We're here!" he felt relieved.

The yakatabune was now entering Osaka's harbor. They passed by other ships and boats that were coming in and out of the place. Rowing past them, the group of fighters were entering Kanzaki River, which would take them to the middle of this large city. But where would they go next?

* * *

 _Inside the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

Heihachi Mishima was in a very good mood at the moment. He was standing before a podium in what appeared to a large hall. Having just eliminated his biggest threats to his plans for world domination, the Mishima Patriarch could smell victory coming towards him. Even now, international organizations across the globe was turning against the G Corporation and starting to favor the Mishima Zaibatsu. Heihachi had succeeded in convincing the international community that this global war was between men and demons, and that Kazuya had been the demon. Although the war was not quite over yet, Heihachi had finally decided to make this declaration.

Standing by his side were the hordes of commanders and subordinates that served under him in the Zaibatsu. But the old man was directing his attention to the crowds of journalists sitting in the audience. Heihachi knew that there were also diplomats from all countries attending. That is why he hoped to court their loyalty and favor. After all, his incoming announcement was broadcasted throughout the world. People from all countries would see this. Not wanting to delay this moment, the CEO of the Zaibatsu opened this conference.

"Greetings to you all, citizens of the world. I, Heihachi Mishima, have an important announcement to make in light of my glorious triumph against the G Corporation and their twisted leader. But first, I would like to tell you a little story about us in this battle. When I regained control of the Mishima Zaibatsu, it was to my understanding that the forces of evil were slowly starting to achieve victory in this battle. I could not sit by and let that stand, so I took the chance and fought back against Kazuya and his forces. While I can understand the international community's grievances with my decision, it was the right thing to do for me as the Zaibatsu's CEO. As such, I continued the war effort. But not long after regaining control I made announcement for the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7. I arranged that in hopes of dragging people out of the misery this war had thrown upon them. And I was successful. People traveled from Eurasia and the Americas to enter it, and I commend their efforts. But sadly, the tournament got cancelled, all because of a cyberattack from our enemies. They then spread out these false reports that I had died of old age. But the Zaibatsu was undeterred from such moves. We swore to expose the G Corp for the frauds they were. And we succeeded. And with a powerful blast from our satellite death ray, I managed to end this demonic threat and deny our enemies the chance to corrupt humanity! That is how the Zaibatsu won this battle!" the speech was long and to Heihachi's satisfaction, the audience before him clapped their hands.

The CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu appreciated the applause, as he was certain by now that people would view him as the hero instead of Kazuya. Still, Heihachi was telling them all half-truths and lies. But he didn't feel an ounce of guilt for doing that. It was all part of achieving his lifelong dream. No longer would he be denied that chance. As soon as the applause gradually stopped, Heihachi continued with his speech, once again making sure that he had everyone's attention.

"Now that I have told everyone of you my story, it is best I get on with the next part of my announcement. The Zaibatsu's triumph will always be remembered throughout history itself. And surely there are many of you who wishes to participate in this celebration of our victory. Therefore, I humbly invite everyone of you to the Mishima Zaibatsu Victory Celebration Banquet tomorrow. Are you interested in coming? I will gladly explain what this celebration is and where its being held. The Mishima Zaibatsu Victory Celebration Banquet will be held in the Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden in Taito. There, you will be served with food, drinks and deserts that this world's best chefs have to offer, as well as classical music that will calm you to your heart's content. And not only that, I will deliver you an important message with regards to my future in the Zaibatsu. But most importantly, I want every guest to have a good time as we celebrate humanity's triumph over the demonic forces. Now that you have heard of my announcement, I welcome every one of you to attend my celebration. And remember, come to the Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden tomorrow night. As long as many more shows up at the event, it will only be much more worth having. To us in the Zaibatsu, that is. Now, if you excuse me, I would like to leave now and begin preparations for this celebration. I thank you for your attention and wish you all good night" the second part of Heihachi's speech was done and he left the podium.

An applause was given to him and Heihachi happily received it by bowing to his audience. But as he bowed, a smug grin was hidden from them. His plans had finally worked. Right now, he had convinced the entire world that he was the winner of this war, as well as the hero. The G Corp were now the villains who had to be defeated and punished. Hopefully, the upcoming banquet of his would strengthen his position in the world.

"At last. Now that Kazuya and that fool Revenant are finally gone, I have officially been declared the winner of this war by the international community" Heihachi thought to himself as he received the applause. He then walked off the stage and into his personal quarters. "That being said, I hold all the power in the world to do as I please. No longer will I need to rely upon the likes of simpletons like the Archers of Sirius to deal with my enemies. I can easily crush Lee and Lars without breaking a sweat, let alone kill Jin while he is unconscious. And to think that it would take this long for me to realize my plans" he told man said.

But as he was on his way to his personal quarters, Heihachi walked past something that caught his attention. The expression on the maddened man changed dramatically. His gleeful face turned into that of shock and remembrance. The picture he was looking at was a photo of his wedding with Kazumi Hachijo, his deceased wife. And not only that, there were so many other people standing beside the newlywed couple, including his father Jinpachi. On that picture, both Heihachi and Kazumi seemed happy. In fact, Heihachi himself remembered that day, as it was actually one of the happiest in his life. Why the wedding photo was hanging on the wall, Heihachi didn't know. But it made the usually ruthless and stoic Mishima Patriarch feel slightly emotional.

"Kazumi…" Heihachi uttered out the name of the woman he loved.

 _To be continued…_


	25. Mysterious Me

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Mysterious Me**

 _Somewhere in the Japanese countryside_

The night was descending upon Japan, but it wasn't so much lights as it was in the countryside. Not far from Tokyo, a certain individual was roaming the woods. This was none other than the cultist calling himself Revenant. Heihachi and his cronies may have assumed that he died in the strike upon the Millennium Tower, but Revenant had actually survived, albeit narrowly. After the entire place of the wreckage had been deserted, he had emerged out of hiding and had since then been headed out of Tokyo in order to seek refuge in the wilds.

But based upon the way he kept moving and taking breaths, Revenant had been gravely injured by this surprise attack from the Mishima Zaibatsu. He had been so focused on his fight against Kazuya that he had almost died in that blast. But by using his mystical powers, Revenant could slowly manage to reduce the pain he was feeling. However, he was feeling his power getting weaker, so he couldn't afford to waste more energy on such. He would have to rest easy for now.

Finding himself a stump to sit on, Revenant slowly reached for his gas mask and removed it. He threw it on the nearby leafy ground. His face was never seen, yet the voice could be heard more clearly now that the mask was off. Still, Revenant was a mysterious man, whose identity was yet to be revealed. Nobody knew who he truly was, save perhaps for his loyal followers.

"Damnit all! How could I let this happen to me!? My fight against Kazuya Mishima interrupted by schemes of that old fool Heihachi! And to think that he survived my attack!" Revenant was not holding back in voicing his dismay of this situation.

True, before coming to Kazuya, Revenant had fought Heihachi in the Mishima Dojo outside Tokyo. By unleashing his powerful blast upon Heihachi, the cultist had assumed that the Mishima Patriarch had died in the explosion. But apparently, an explosion alone wasn't enough to kill THE Heihachi Mishima. Revenant was beginning to see what his mistakes had cost him.

"It appears to me that I foolishly underestimated you, Heihachi Mishima. To think you survived the blast I fired upon you at the dojo. But then again, it's not surprising, considering how you survived the explosion on Hon-Maru. You really do live up to your title of King of the Iron Fist" Revenant was speaking, while at the same time starting to speak more favorably about the old man.

As he sat on the stump, Revenant began thinking about the opponent he had been fighting before the blast had almost obliterated them to dust. He recalled what he had seen from Kazuya, specifically the power of his Devil Gene. Kazuya's monstrous power had intrigued the cultist.

"Kazuya Mishima…you are a destructive man indeed. That power you demonstrated to me was breathtaking. And to think you are capable of commanding it without any problems. It makes me wonder whether you are superior to your son or not" Revenant thought, having also knowledge about the fact that Jin possessed the Devil Gene. "It's a shame that Jin Kazama has disappeared from the face of the Earth. Otherwise, I would have gladly be willing to test his demonic power" the cultist added while thinking about Kazuya's son.

But even as he was thinking about Kazuya and Jin, there was something else that Revenant had in mind. And he even made an illusion with one of his metallic hands. It was as if he was trying to create a picture of someone with the help of his dark energy. The image was that of a monster with the face of a bird. He resembled the Egyptian god named Horus. But this was not the case here. Who was this creature?

"Mighty and powerful Azazel. Your power was indeed monstrous. But to think that you fell in battle before a mere child. Perhaps I gave you too much credit for being the so-called "Rectifier of All Things". Nevertheless, Jin Kazama only fought you because he believed that defeating you would end the Devil Gene. Such a poor and confused boy. He was wrong. Defeating you would not end the curse running in his bloodline. While you may share the same powers, the Devil's is different from yours, Azazel" Revenant was speaking of the evil entity that was a threat to the world during the previous King of Iron Fist Tournament.

During its conclusion, Jin had taken the ultimate risk and sacrifice by fighting Azazel all by himself. Apparently, this had been his intention all along. To create so much negativity with the worldwide war he began so that Azazel would grow stronger. From what he had learned, only a man with the powers of the Devil Gene could battle and kill Azazel. The battle between them was harsh and titanic, as they fought in the depths of the world itself. But in the end, Jin surprisingly prevailed over the demon, but at a great cost.

Revenant kept looking at the illusion of Azazel on his metallic hand. "No matter how powerful you were, Azazel, you failed. But not only you. The Hachijo clan failed. Jinpachi Mishima failed. They too were blinded by weakness and pride. But the Acolytes of Pluton will not repeat the same mistakes they did. The Gods of Old will return under our watch. No one can deny our destiny, not even filthy spawns of the Devil himself!" the cultist was still feeling as proud as he could be.

As he was still sitting on the stump, several people emerged out of the shadows in the woods. But Revenant paid not heed, as he knew who they were. These were his fellow cultists in the Acolytes of Pluton. They all wore similar attires to him, with dark-hooded coats being most visible. When they approached their leader, the cultists kneeled before him as if he was their savior or prophet. As they looked at him, Revenant had already put his gas mask back on, as well lifted up his hood.

"Well met, brothers and sisters. I was wondering when you would show up" Revenant told his followers.

"Master. We are relieved to see you making out of that disaster alive. Admittedly, we were worried if you had perished" one of the cultists uttered.

Revenant rose up from the stump. "Bah! A naive assumption on your part. I would never die until I had fulfilled the goal of our order. No cheap tricks were going to be the end of me" he berated the disciple, who lowered his head in shame.

"You are right. I take it back. Please excuse my insolence, master" the follower replied.

The leader of the Acolytes of Pluton couldn't help but to look up, as if he was facing the dark skies, although the trees and leaves were quite thick for him to get a clear view. "The attack that interrupted my fight, I am certain that it was not magic" Revenant remarked, recalling back to the moment the beam had hit the Millennium Tower.

"According to our data back at HQ, the blast came from above the Millennium Tower. It goes on to explain that there is a satellite floating above Earth under the Mishima Zaibatsu's control" a female cultist came forward with some clues.

"Is that so? Well, that would explain how a cunning fox such as Heihachi Mishima was able to pull an attack like that. I should've paid more attention to him and his cowardly machinations" Revenant noted, feeling irritated that Heihachi had managed to fool him. "Speaking of which, have any of you gotten updates about Kazuya and his allies? Powerful as it may have been, I know for a fact that he didn't die in that blast. He is no weakling" the cultist then asked his followers about his other hated enemy.

One of them nodded his head at Revenant. "Of course. From what our scouts can confirm, Kazuya and his accomplices were seen leaving Japan. We don't know where specifically they are headed, but our sources say that it must be somewhere in Southeast Asia" the cultist informed his leader.

"Well, it looks to me that the G Corporation is making a retreat, for now. That being said, the Zaibatsu will without a doubt be declared heroes of this ongoing war. But I know for certain that Kazuya and his servants will be seeking retaliation for this humiliation" Revenant started to puzzle the pieces together, and he was starting to come up with a brilliant idea.

"What is our next course of action, master?" one of the cultists asked their leader.

"I suggest that we use this situation to our advantage. It may take some time before my powers are fully restored, so we will let the G Corp deal with the Zaibatsu and weaken them for us. Right now, that old fool Heihachi must be celebrating, foolishly thinking that he has achieved total victory in this war. That only gives Kazuya an opportunity to strike him now that his father's arrogance is at its peak" Revenant revealed their next move.

Knowing better than to question or disagree with their master's idea, the cultists bowed to Revenant with nothing but respect for his plans. As his fanatical followers, they would do as he said without question.

"As you wish, master. We are yours to command" the female cultist spoke up with admiration of her leader.

Although his face couldn't be seen, Revenant was likely smiling in satisfaction. "Good. Now then, let us seek refuge in the shadows. I have longed their comfort for a while" he said, his eyes on the gas mask glowing purple. He then began moving with his fellow cultists tagging along. As he walked, Revenant couldn't help but to think about his hated enemies. "They may start assuming that I have died, but I am not out of the game just yet. What I am doing now is merely a tactical retreat. But I will be back to fulfill our order's destiny. Therefore, I will let these Mishima fools and their allies enjoy their short-lived victory for now. It will be the last memories they will have of their lives" he thought about his hated enemies.

Revenant lead his followers through the woods, hoping to find refuge from all the pain he had gone through in trying to fight both Heihachi and Kazuya. But he would come back for them. And this time, he would not spare them anything at all. They would both die, their corpses reduced to nothing but ashes. Such were the uttermost desires of Revenant.

* * *

 _In the district of Gion, Kyoto, Japan_

The traffic in the city of Kyoto was busy as usual. But a white Toyota HiAce SLWB Van 2017 was driving away from the busy center and towards the district of Gion. Nina Williams had been hired by Sebastian to drive Lili and the group of fighters she had made friends with to Kyoto. Having "saved" them from a pursuing Tekken Force squadron, Nina drove them to the city. But some of her passengers were curious to why they would have to specifically stop in Gion instead of the central Kyoto.

"Is there any particular reason for why we must stop in Gion? I mean, there are better and easier alternatives" Asuka questioned Nina, who kept facing forward instead of paying attention to her.

"Where we stop, is irrelevant. I just want you out of this vehicle and collect my payment so I can continue with my other contracts. Bear in mind that I only do things like this for coins, not causes" Nina sternly replied. Most of her passengers were not in the least surprised by the Irishwoman's cold-hearted attitude and different way of seeing life.

Michelle crossed her arms while looking at her with a smug expression. "Other contracts, you say? Oh, I get it! One of them must involve around becoming Jin Kazama's sugar babe" the middle-aged woman started to insult the assassin.

Some of the fighters such as Hwoarang, Bob, Asuka and Lili had to laugh in hearing Michelle's taunt. They seemed to find it funny.

"Woah! That was a good one, right there! I couldn't have said anything better myself!" Hwoarang lost himself to laughing out loud.

"Exactly! Maybe not the best term to use, but still funny!" Bob joined in, not holding back his laughter.

But others were taken aback by what Michelle said, even her daughter Julia. "Mom, why in the world are you saying such things?" she questioned her mother in disbelief.

Xiaoyu was also upset with what Michelle said. "Yeah, there's no way Jin would've done something like that!" the Chinese girl snapped.

But Michelle was undeterred. "What are you girls so worked up for? Jin did in fact hire her to be his bodyguard when he ruled the Zaibatsu, didn't he?" the brunette pointed out, only to take a glance at the blonde-haired assassin once again. "Or had he perhaps some other motives in mind? Care to explain it, Nina?" she started taunting her once again.

The blonde-haired woman did not respond to that with words, yet she did something else. Without hesitating, Nina stopped the vehicle, pulling the brakes quickly. It caused almost every passenger to lose balance and they fell upon each other.

"Woah! What's the big idea!?" Bob demanded as he was slammed into the backdoors.

"Yeah, you trying to kill us or something!?" Hwoarang joined in on getting agitated by Nina's move.

Julia glanced at her mother with a slight irritated look. "Honestly, mom. Couldn't you have kept your mouth shut for a while instead of insulting her? That's the reason why she just…..." the brunette was interrupted by the stern voice of Nina.

"I didn't stop because of that. I stopped because we're here now. It's time for you to get out" Nina said blankly, much to the surprise of her passengers. She sighed in irritation by seeing their reactions. "Well? I thought you wanted to come to Kyoto. We have reached your destination" she then revealed to them, hoping to get her passengers out as soon as possible.

Lili was quick to jump up and forma gleeful smile. "Already? Wonderful! And just when I was getting tired by standing in this crowded space" she exclaimed in a delightful mood.

The doors of the van opened and one by one, the fighters exited the vehicle. They found themselves in what appeared to be a narrow alleyway. From the looks of it, there was nobody else to be seen. Still, there were lights shining from both ways, all the more reason to consider this safe. In a way, it also was kind of bewitching, since it was night.

Xiaoyu let out a deep sigh as she stood in the street. "Well, there's still a way to go to reach home. But at least it's good to know that I'm back in Kyoto" the Chinese girl remarked, having grown tired of traveling for almost the entire day.

Sebastian and Lili approached Nina, both of them more than willing to let the assassin get her payment. "We thank you so much for contributing to our journey, Nina Williams. On behalf of Madame Lili and the Rochefort Family, I award you this paycheck. Just go to the nearest bank and you can deposit it in any currency that you want. That a fair compensation, yes?" the butler told Nina while handing her the paycheck.

Nina grabbed it and looked at it for a brief moment, smirking in the process. "Hmm…...you kept your end of the bargain well, butler. It's not so often that I get paid handsomely these days" she remarked, although people were not sure about whether Nina was appreciative of the reward or not.

"So, where will you be going now? Don't you wanna accompany us in finding Jin Kazama?" Lili questioned Nina smugly.

Being asked about this caused to Nina to glare at the young girl disapprovingly. "I thought I made myself clear to you earlier. I have no interest in joining you on this silly treasure hunt of yours. But if you wanna keep searching for him, then do as you wish" she told her, although the others were listening to her answer as well, not just Lili and Sebastian.

While most of the fighters were unsure of what to do, Steve felt like he really needed to do it. The British man no wanted to confront this woman and demand some answers out of her. After all these years of waiting, Steve would have the answers he always desired. Just as Nina was about to take off, Steve stopped her.

"Hold it right there!" Steve spoke up, thus forcing Nina to stop and look at her. So far, they were watching as if they were glaring at one another. "You're not getting away so easily!" the British man added, his eyes never leaving sight of Nina.

The other fighters didn't know what was going on right now, but they could feel the animosity brewing between them. "Hold on, what's up with them? Do they know each other?" Michelle asked her daughter and some of the other fighters.

Nina felt her time being wasted. "What is it now? Speak quickly and be done about it" she asked Steve out of annoyance.

But just as Steve could continue this interrogation, something loud could be heard coming from both ends of the alleyway. The group of fighters looked to both sides and could see that they were being blocked by trucks. And out from them appeared mobs of thugs dressed in all kinds of clothes from leather jackets to being shirtless. And not only that, there were many ethnicities in this large army of thugs, not just Asian people. Caucasians, Africans, Arabs, Latinos and many others could also be seen in the crowd. Who in the world were they?

"Well, lookie here, guys! It seems that there are some bootlickers from the Mishima Zaibatsu skulking around our turf!" a man of Japanese ethnicity spoke up while blowing some smoke from his mouth.

The group of fighters were confused. "Bootlickers from the Mishima Zaibatsu? What are you talking about?" Hwoarang asked while raising his only eyebrow.

"You guys got the wrong people! We're not with anybody!" Bob spoke up, trying to defuse the situation by being civil was possible.

A guy among the crowd, who seemed to be an American man stepped forward and pointed a finger at Bob. "Bullshit! I saw you on the containership in the Pacific! You were one of those assholes the Tekken Force rescued! Yeah! You and those two bitches" he spat out, pointing to not just Bob, but to Michelle and Julia as well.

Hearing this made Bob confused. "Huh? The containership in the tournament? I don't get why…" the chubby man was starting to be given a realization.

"All of you guys…...I take it you were in the tournament as well…during the first phase on the containership" Julia spoke up.

"And not only that, some of them were actually on a passenger ship as well" Hwoarang admitted to what he was seeing.

A Chinese woman who was chewing some bubblegum stepped forward with a baseball bat in her hands. "Damn right we are! But unlike you, we didn't make it to the next round. We, who traveled from Eurasia, was left to die a watery grave! We barley managed to survive thanks to the Chinese navy rescuing us!" she snapped in rage.

Nina, Lili and Hwoarang couldn't believe that there actually survivors from the wreckage of the passenger ship they used to travel the South China Sea. They all assumed that they had drowned to their deaths after a giant rogue wave had capsized the ship. The fact that they had managed to escape a watery grave was a miracle. But how exactly could they recognize the fighters, let alone who managed to proceed to the next round? Something was definitely not making sense.

"Well, what do you guys want with us, anyway?" Asuka asked the two groups who were blocking their way.

The Japanese guy seemed to have the answer. "You know what we want! Those bastards at the Mishima Zaibatsu had the nerve to actually call off the tournament! And after everything we put ourselves through in hopes of making it to the next round, he suddenly throws away the arrangement! We all foolishly believed that Heihachi would make our dreams come true. But it was nothing but lies!" he yelled at them.

"That's why we've formed ourselves our own international militia that will dismantle the Zaibatsu and their fucked-up leader! We don't need the international community's help, and the United Nations for that matter! Because we're this world's underdogs, so we rely on our own strength! We're the Resistance!" the American man was vocal in telling the group of fighters who they were.

"And since some of you guys managed to make it to the next round, it only confirms our suspicions that Heihachi favored you the most!" the Chinese woman spat out.

"Then what are we waiting for!? Let's get those fucking cunts!" an Englishman suddenly joined in on the mob.

With that being said, the two mobs of the Resistance began moving towards the group of fighters, intending on actually beating them to pulps. They carried various weapons, from baseball bats to knives. Clearly, they were not a friendly bunch

"The Resistance? Since when did such group even exist?" Ganryu was in disbelief with what he was seeing.

"I heard rumors of an international movement that were made up of people resentful against both the Zaibatsu and the G Corp. This Resistance may be that organization. From what I've heard, it's a group that leans towards anarchist ideals and guerilla tactics, which only explains why they are antagonistic towards almost everyone except for people like them" Michelle started recalling some rumors she heard heard about this movement.

As Steve got a closer look at his foes, he recognized something with these people. "Honestly, I'm not surprised by the existence of such group. I mean, just look at them" the British man pointed out to his friends. "It's obvious that all these guys have been badly affected by the ongoing war, both emotionally and financially. They were hoping that the tournament would help them from this misery, maybe give them careers or something. But like us, they were lied to by Heihachi. I can honestly relate to them when it comes to the pain of being unemployed" he added to his observation, starting to have a little sympathy towards these people.

"I see. And it's true that the warfare between the Zaibatsu and the G Corp has only increased the crime rate throughout the world! No wonder these guys are so aggressive and violent" Julia exclaimed in shock, yet she stood her guard when watching the two mobs approaching the group from each side.

Bob also stood in his fighting stance. "Can't say I disagree with these guys. Their anger is justified. But still, we're not to blame from a war none of us had a hand in" the blonde-haired man noted.

"Exactly! But I don't think they will listen to reason anymore. I can tell that they are out for blood" Xiaoyu remarked by studying the behavior of these people.

Lili, while she was slightly feeling tired, couldn't help but to look forward to being able to fight once again. "Well, I could really use a workout. Are you guys up for a little friendly competition?" she asked some of her friends.

Asuka glanced at her with a raised eyebrow. "We barley manage to escape from getting hunted by the Tekken Force and you're still up for more fighting?" she was in disbelief of what Lili said. Nevertheless, the Japanese girl returned her attention to the mobs. "And not only that, I thought we were supposed to find a hospital or something. We still can't be sure if we're 100 % uninjured" se added.

"I get your point. But to my understanding, this Lee Chaolan has a medical facility in the Violet System's HQ. If we could get there, then we'll be safe for sure" Michelle told Asuka, although she said this so that everyone listened to her. "How about you, Nina? Don't tell me that you plan on running away when you have the chance to hone your skills in…." Michelle spoke to Nina, yet she could see the Irish assassin standing on top of the van with a grapple hook in her hand.

She fired it on one of the building's rooftops, although it specifically hit a pipe. "Goodbye" she told them bluntly before being dragged up to where she had fired the grabble hook. Nina eventually began her run by using the rooftops.

Everyone in the group couldn't believe what Nina had just done, and some of the fighters were furious with how rude the assassin was. "That bitch! How dares she!" Hwoarang cursed out in anger.

"Yeah! Why did she run off from us like that!?" Xiaoyu was also baffled by Nina's decision to run off.

"Why are you guys so upset with her? It's not like she was hired to assist us with these guys, anyway" Asuka asked the two about the reason they were getting all worked up.

"She has a point. Needless to say, I am not surprised that the assassin would abandon us like this. As she told us herself, it was all about money" Ganryu spoke up his mind, only to see that the mobs were coming towards them from both sides. The Sumo wrestler surprisingly stood his ground while facing them. "But let's not talk about Nina Williams. These people here will not let us pass willingly. And I can tell that they are seeking to beat us up until we're bleeding like pigs" he then added, seeing the two crowds beginning their march towards the group.

"Then that means we have no choice but to fight this "Resistance". I know that all of you are experienced fighters, but let us not try to injure these people seriously. After all, they are only civilians that has gone crazy because of the war" Michelle told every fighter, urging them not to go hard on them.

Hwoarang snorted in return. "Tch, easier said than done. Besides, I've taken out thugs like them before. As a matter of fact, these guys remind me of the bullying gangs I used to beat up back in Seoul" he said, not seeming to care about the fact that he was battling civilians. "And may I remind you that these people carry knives, bats, bottles and even brass knuckles! That doesn't say these people are unarmed, nor are they innocent civilians" he added, trying to make a point to Michelle.

"True. But they don't appear to have any firearms. So that makes them less dangerous than soldiers of the G Corp or the Zaibatsu" Bob reassured the Korean man, feeling slightly excited in getting to battle. "Come on, guys! I bet each of you are up for a little workout, aren't you?" the chubby man was feeling more than happy to trade punches with these thugs.

Xiaoyu was feeling annoyed by being dragged into this fight. But if she was to make it out alive, then she would have to deal with these thugs first. "Alright then! Let's show these guys that we're not to be messed with!" the Chinese girl told her friends, and they all agreed with her, even Asuka.

"Hell yeah! They'll be sorry once we've broken their jaws!" Asuka exclaimed, the Japanese brunette feeling more than fired up for this upcoming fight.

Not wanting to delay anything further, the two mobs charged towards the group of fighters, thus beginning a nasty brawl in the alleyway. At first, the thugs had assumed that they could corner the group and overpower them. But even though they were many, they fell easily before the fighters. The thugs were not particularly as resilient as they claimed to be, something which the fighters seemed to take to their advantage. But even as some thugs fell,

Amidst this fighting, Steve was beginning to realize that something was not right. His only chance of getting to know more about his past was getting away. Steve knew that Nina somewhat had the answers he was looking for. That's why he could not let that happen. Using his strength, let alone his newfound power, Steve punched his way through the messy crowd of Resistance members. Tough as they were, they were no match for Steve's punches.

"I'm not done with you just yet! You have something that I really want" Steve thought as he began running for a ladder. But along the way, Steve was confronted by more members of the Resistance. And they were not letting him pass so easily. Feeling frustrated, Steve charged towards them with all his anger. "Out of my way, wankers!" he cursed as he dodged getting slammed by a baseball bat before punching the guy in his jaw. He then climbed up the ladder that was hidden amongst the wall, in hopes of reaching the rooftop and catching up to Nina.

Back in the alleyway, Hwoarang had noticed the fact that Steve was not with them anymore. But he did in fact spot him climbing up the ladder in order to get to the rooftop. "Hold on! Where do you think you're going, Steve!?" he loudly asked, yet Steve didn't answer. Steve continued climbing to the rooftop and then proceeded to move, not so much as saying goodbye to his friends. "STEVE!" Hwoarang asked once again.

Julia was having her hands full, yet still managed to reply to Hwoarang. "I think he went to chase after Nina. Apparently, he and her must have some unfinished business. I don't know what it is, but perhaps it's best if we let him go after her" the brunette told him, only to dodge an attack from an enemy. But she managed to take him out easily. "Damnit! These people just won't give up! Why are they so hesitant to attack us!?" she felt stressed.

"Perhaps we can find the answer after we have taken out these fiends" Lili told her, with Sebastian standing by her side. He was trying his best to defend his young mistress. "Everything okay with you, Sebastian?" the rich girl asked her butler.

Sebastian felt somewhat embarrassed when she asked him that. "Goodness. How embarrassing this is" he thought, unable to say a word to the young blondie.

"Once we've dealt with these thugs, we have to find away out of her now that they've blocked the alleyway with those trucks! But the only question is how we do that" Bob spoke up, perfectly managing fine with his opponents.

Xiaoyu seemed to have an idea. "We could use that ladder Steve used to get up to the rooftops! Up there, we'll probably have a better perspective of Gion, as well as where to find Violet System's HQ!" she suggested to everyone.

Ganryu was in favor of it. "A splendid idea! We better take that option. These people have blocked both ways with those trucks of theirs!" the Sumo wrestler agreed with Xiaoyu's suggestion. But Ganryu could already see someone charge towards him with a brass knuckle. He punched the middle-aged man in the stomach, yet Ganryu withstood it. The Sumo wrestler retaliated by landing a powerful attack upon his foe, thus sending him flying. "Hah! Never underestimate the strength of a Yokozuna!" he boasted proudly.

Julia was confused by how boastful Ganryu was, yet the four-eyed girl soon turned her attention towards some of her foes, who were already planning on attacking her with chain whips. This only made her more than willing to defend herself.

"While I can sympathize with your plight, I still can't forgive the fact you have chosen this kind of lifestyle. There are so many better things you could do to end this war" Julia expressed her dismay with what she was seeing.

"Shut up, bitch! You don't know a damn thing about us!" an African-American man was seen shouting towards her.

"Aye! We're naht lestenin to you!" a red-haired Irishman said in his thick dialect. "Now prepared to get yooehr arse whooped!" he added, with him and his partner more than willing to attack at any minute.

Hwoarang was growing tired of battling the members of the Resistance. To him, these guys were relatively easy to beat. "Tch, is that the best you guys can come up!? Please, the gangs back in Seoul fight better than you! All you do is scream while waving your weapons! How low humanity has fallen!" the Taekwondo fighter expressed his disappointment with his foes.

Some of the thugs were enraged by hearing Hwoarang mock them, so they charged at him with everything they had. But they were soon beaten up by Bob, who had used his speed and weight to his advantage. As a result, the thugs were beaten by him. He only smirked while watching the reaction of his foes.

"Heh. Not what you guys expected, huh? Well, you may as well want to take back the statement about making me your punching bag!" Bob taunted them

While the brawl continued in the alleyway, Nina had succeeded in using the rooftops as a means of getting out of the most crowded streets in Gion. But she soon returned to street level, finding herself in Ishibe Valley. Looking back, Nina realized that she was now all by herself, which was perfect, by her account.

"Finally, I'm out of this mess. No way I was going to waste my time on battling common thugs" Nina expressed her satisfaction, mindfully watching her surroundings for anything suspicious. Everything seemed clear so far and nobody seemed to have followed her. "Well, best get to the modern districts. Being stuck in this labyrinth is nothing but a nuisance" she then said to herself.

Not wanting to be stuck in Gion further, Nina ran towards the only way, hoping to reach the modern districts of Kyoto soon enough. All she had to do was to follow that way. But once she turned that corner, the assassin was in for a surprise to see none other than Steve standing there, thus blocking her passage. She couldn't believe it. How did he manage to get out of the brawl so quickly? Even so, Nina felt annoyed by his presence.

"You again? Tch, what is it you want from me? If it's nothing, then be a dear and step aside for a minute" she rudely requested him.

Steve was undeterred from the tone in her voice, and he didn't move a muscle. "No. I won't let you pass" he told her.

Nina's eyes narrowed further. "Listen, boy. I'm not known for empty threats. So I'm gonna ask you this one more time. Step aside and let me pass! Otherwise, I'll….." Nina was interrupted by the voice of Steve.

"I already told you! I won't let you do that!" Steve retorted back at him.

Feeling angered, Nina decided to move anyway. Given her incredible reflexes and acrobatics, she was confident about getting past Steve. He was nothing but a boxer, so he was slow. Or that's what Nina had assumed at first. Without delay, Steve used his arms to prevent her from escaping. And not only that, yellow electricity was sparkling around him. This caught Nina completely by surprise, and she backed off.

"What in the world happened just now? This kid…his arms just had electricity appearing around his arms…." Nina herself couldn't believe to what she was seeing. "This is completely unusual…where have I seen this before?" the Irishwoman asked herself, slowly starting to get intrigued with the young man.

Even as the assassin didn't want to waste time with him, Steve tried to talk to Nina. "Listen, miss. You can play dumb as much as you like, but it doesn't matter. I know all about you. As a matter of fact, you and I are somewhat connected to one another" Steve informed the woman before him.

Nina quickly reverted back to her serious demeanor. "Just what the hell are you babbling about? There's no way you and I are connected. Did one of those thugs back there hit your head or something?" she rudely asked him.

"Bollocks! I've done my fair of research of you, Nina Williams! During the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, you were hired by the criminal organization called the Syndicate to assassinate me!" Steve spoke up, causing Nina to widen her eyes in shock. She perfectly remembered that name.

"How do you know that!?" she fiercely demanded an answer out of him.

Steve remained unfazed by hearing Nina's demand. "Lei Wulong, an agent of Interpol and a friend of mine. He was following you during that tournament and was kind enough to warn me about your plan. And you know what happened with the Syndicate. Lei found their whereabouts and every member was arrested" the British man explained how he knew about the assassination plot during that time. But Steve was not yet finished. "That being said, I myself infiltrated the Mishima Zaibatsu's data room and found the assassination plot. But not only that, it also revealed something about me personally. It showed me that you and I were somewhat…connected to one another" he then went on explaining his story.

Still, Nina was not buying his story. "So what if I was hired by the Syndicate? I simply accepted the job. But like you said, its members were arrested before I could carry out the assassination. I knew that Interpol would look into every details of people they had been hiring, so I severed ties with the Syndicate, in hopes of getting Interpol off my hook" Nina told him, yet she felt like she needed to tell him more about herself. "But other than that, I've absolutely no idea what you're speaking of. You and I are not connected. Get it through your thick skull, punk!" the assassin rudely told him.

Steve was angered by Nina's repeated denials, so he decided to get more tougher with her. "All I'm asking, is that you tell me about this connection we share! Is that so much to ask for!?" he said, still refusing to give up.

"Like I said, you're in over your head! I have nothing to say to you! Now beat it, before I really assassinate you!" she coldly threatened the young man, not having an ounce of regret in doing that.

As horrible was it was for Steve to hear such threats, the British boxer refused to back down. Standing in his fighting position, Steve was preparing himself to actually face Nina in combat. The youthful-looking woman sneered at him as a result.

"I'm not letting you pass until you tell me the truth. You will talk to me, even if I have to make you!" Steve told her, stubbornly refusing to let this woman out of his sight.

The assassin was growing agitated by Steve's persistence. However, a part of her wanted to test out Steve's fighting capabilities. Nevertheless, she felt like the only way out there was through him. "Fine by me. I'll be more than happy to beat you up. Do your worst, boy!" she dared him while standing in her fighting position.

And with that, an intense fighting had begun between Nina and Steve. At first, Nina had assumed that she would have the upper hand, given her experience in combat. However, Steve was actually not as inexperienced as she had originally thought. Then again, she was fighting a rookie in the Boxing championship. And it was this new power of Steve that really caught Nina's attention. Because of her being too distracted, the young man managed to uppercut her, thus sending her into the air. Fortunately, Nina landed on the ground, only to spit out blood afterwards. Truth be told, she was furious of the fact that he had just given her a bloody lip.

"Tch, you're definitely a headache!" Nina muttered beneath her breath. She could see that Steve was still not willing to let her go. She sighed in defeat. "Alright! What is it you really want with me?" she then conceded to his demands.

Steve, who felt like he needed to show Nina how serious he was, removed his hooded jacket, thus exposing not only his torso, but the large scar on his left arm as well. The sight of that really caught Nina's attention. She had never seen something like that before. Steve held onto his scarred arm as Nina watched.

"I know very little about my birth, as well as how my life really began. But my earliest memory is of a Mishima Zaibatsu laboratory in the UK. I don't even know who my parents are. The only grown-up whom I could consider such was Dr. Emma Kliesen. She was always nice to me compared to the other researchers" Steve began recalling the story of his life he barley knew. To his surprise, Nina was actually listening. This only encouraged Steve to continue. "As I said earlier, I infiltrated the Zaibatsu for several years and dug out intel. But unfortunately, none of it really led me anywhere…but your name did come up, time and time again! So tell me, what's your connection to the lab? To me?" he finished with a direct question aimed at Nina.

After hearing what Steve had said, Nina had slowly come to a realization. This laboratory Steve spoke of was not unfamiliar to her. In fact, she had been there before. Standing up, Nina decided to tell her side of the story, yet she was unsure about whether the young man before he would believe in her or not.

"Those labs, like the one you just described, were used by the Zaibatsu to create superpowered soldiers. Their goal was to physically and genetically engineer the ultimate soldier for the Tekken Force. The program was ordered by Heihachi Mishima, but the one supervising it was his top scientific advisor at that time: Dr. Abel" Nina began answering what Steve had been looking for. He himself had begun to realize what she was trying to say, yet he still felt like he needed more info. Of course, the program ended in failure. But judging by your left arm, you must be one of the survivors" she then said while looking at the scar on Steve's arm.

Steve also did the same thing, watching how this scar was only a symbol of him being a test subject at the lab as a child. He could slowly recall back to his traumatizing childhood. Those days were something Steve wished he could forget. But he couldn't especially now that he was beginning to learn more about himself.

Nina felt like she was growing annoyed by this explanation, yet she still continued. At the same time, she was also starting to try and puzzle things together. "At the time of the program, the Zaibatsu had captured me and forced me into cryosleep. It's only recently that I discovered my genes were used in their experiments. But I have yet to find out what exactly they were being used for" she went on explaining her story, admitting that she understood what had transpired while she was in the cryosleep.

Steve had slowly come to a realization. He had to ask her this. As absurd as it may was, Steve felt like he needed to ask Nina. "Wait, so does that mean you are my mother?" he asked, feeling slightly surprised as he asked that question.

But Nina quickly reverted back to her stern demeanor. "Don't get the wrong idea. You'll never be my son. I couldn't care less about you. If anything, you're a thorn in my side" she ruthlessly told the young man, still not having an ounce of regret for the tone she spoke with.

But still, Steve was not broken by such. "Well excuse me, Lady Tremaine! I'm only stating the obvious. If the Zaibatsu did indeed use your genes for one of their experiments, then we're clearly related by blood!" he pointed out to her.

"So what? I never asked for a son, let alone getting impregnated!" Nina hit back, yet she felt like she had to ask Steve about something related to him. "Now that reminds me, this power of yours. How long have you been having it?" she demanded an answer.

Steve looked at the scar on his arm, even seeing small tints of yellow electricity sparkle around it. "Truth is, I only unlocked this power recently. It was during a workout in a gym. I was training until I could feel the pain inside my arm. From the way I see it, it's the result of many years I was injected with drugs by those researches. After fighting the horror of being labeled NT01, this power emerged. But I don't know where I've gotten it from" the young Boxer explained the story.

"I see. But do you know which people have such ability to master electricity as you do? From my viewpoint, this is not something that is the result of you being injected with drugs" Nina asked him seriously.

"Yes, I know who can do this. The members of the Mishima family" Steve replied.

Nina nodded her head in agreement. "Correct answer. Which leads me to wonder: are you in some way connected with the Mishima clan?" she then asked him.

Steve was taken aback by such question. "What kind of question is that!? I've no idea! But I now know the fact that you…...are my biological mother. Look, I don't like your attitude and all, but you're still my mother" he told her while expressing his feelings. "I know that I was conceived through invitro fertilization and that you were the woman who birthed me" Steve added, slightly getting emotional about this subject.

But Nina didn't seem to care much for how Steve was feeling. "Well, too bad for you. Because I don't know how the hell one can get pregnant while being stuck in cryosleep! It's not like someone can just come inside and jump my bones off!" she was explaining how unrealistic it was for her to even get pregnant.

"I also think the same thing. But if you would please stop being such a smartarse and help me think this through, then perhaps we can find out how you became pregnant, as well as find out who my father really is" Steve advised her, yet Nina didn't seem to take kindly to it.

"And just who are you to command me, punk?" she coldly asked him.

Despite hearing the tone, Steve shrugged it off with a cocky smirk. "Well, I'm your son, of course" he answered, much to Nina's irritation.

"I swear, this discussion is goddamn pointless. There's no way that…" Nina was about to speak up against Steve, until something else happened.

Just as they were continuing this conversation, a noise could be heard close to them. Behind Steve, several members of the Resistance appeared, geared with all kinds of weaponry. Two of them were seen carrying pipes while the another was carrying a crowbar. From the looks of it, they were looking for someone to beat up without mercy.

"We finally found you!" one of them, a Latino man said, who presumably was the leader of this group. "Come on, guys! We're gonna kick their sorry asses to the curb!" he added while encouraging his partners to follow his commands.

Steve felt irritated by this interruption. "Tch, more of these guys? Why can't they just mind their own business!?" he complained while observing the thugs.

Nina was growing agitated by seeing this. "And just when I thought things couldn't possibly get worse" the assassin lamented in boredom. But Steve did suddenly the unthinkable, when he stood before Nina, as if he was trying to shield her. This caught the blondie by surprise. "Just what are you doing?" she questioned her.

"Go! I'll handle these guys!" Steve told her, yet Nina was not buying what he was saying. "I'm doing this because of the fact I need you at my side! So run now while I'm handling them!" the Boxer informed his mother.

As annoyed as Nina was, she was amused by Steve's gentleman-like personality. And not only that, she was more than happy to let Steve deal with those thugs so that she could be left on her own. Not wanting to waste time being in Gion, Nina quickly began her move, but not before "thanking" her son.

"Can't believe I'm saying this...but thanks" Nina surprisingly said as she took off without saying anymore words.

Looking over his shoulder, Steve watched as his mother ran away. While it was hard for him to accept the fact that an assassin like her was his biological mother, Steve knew that he would need Nina's help in recovering more clues of his past. But he doubted that Nina would ever grow to love him as any mother would. He had already witnessed her cold attitude and rude persona.

With that taken care of, Steve returned his focus on the thugs before him. He stood in his fighting stance. "I hope you know what you're getting yourselves into, mates! Because when I'm through with you, you're all gonna wish you never found me!" the British man said, while he was trying to taunt them at the same time. The thugs responded by charging towards him, yet this only made Steve more than happy to respond harshly to their aggression.

Back in the alleyway, the group that had been engaged in a brawl with members of the Resistance had emerged victorious. Yes, despite the fact that they were many, the thugs had no chance against the fighters. As their foes laid on the asphalt, the group had to decide what to do now.

"Alright! This wasn't so hard. I knew those guys were piece of cake!" Bob smugly exclaimed. "But then again, I salute their efforts. It's was admirable to watch, I must admit" the chubby man admitted.

"Maybe you're taking this joy a little too far" Hwoarang said, unable to understand why Bob could be so proud of what he had accomplished.

Michelle stepped in the middle, making sure that she had everyone's attention. "Okay, everyone. Surprisingly, these mobs didn't seem as tough as he thought they were. But now that they're defeated, it would be best if we got out of this alley" the middle-aged woman informed them.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's climb up that ladder and see if we can find a way out by using the rooftops" Xiaoyu said while pointing her thumb at the ladder stuck into the wall.

"Good idea" Lili agreed with the Chinese girl.

As they were about to start climbing up one by one, the fighters failed to notice three grenades being thrown in the alleyway. But these weren't just ordinary grenades. The moment they popped, smoke came out. The smoke was incredibly thick. It didn't take long before the fighters started to cough while standing in the smoke.

"What the…! What is this toxicity!?" Ganryu exclaimed while coughing.

"Someone threw smoke grenades at us! But how!? Are there more bandits nearby!?" Asuka angrily wondered, yet she soon found herself unable to see clearly.

She was not the only one. "Damnit! I'm starting to lose my consciousness! It's as if this is a combination of smoke grenades and tear gas!" Julia exclaimed, feeling the pressure heaping up on her.

"Maybe it's because it IS a combination of both!" Hwoarang exclaimed, slowly falling onto the asphalt. "Fuck! I can't take much more of this!" he then groaned in frustration.

Soon the rest of the group followed the Korean man into losing their consciousness. The thick smoke was simply too much for them to handle. But amidst it, several people emerged in. They were dressed just like any members of the Resistance, except for the fact they wore gas masks. Apparently, they had been the ones to throw the smoke grenades at the fighters in hopes of making them fall into unconsciousness.

"Finally! Those guys are done. I swear, they really gave us much trouble just now! Good thing we were saved for the last" one of the Resistance-fighters said through his gas mask.

"Yeah, but two of them got away from the alley before we came. But our partners are already searching for them throughout the streets. They can't have gone too far. After all, we know Gion better than anyone" a female member of the Resistance pointed out.

One of the members began moving his feet on Julia's unconscious body. "What do we do with them? Should we bring them to the Shadow Coliseum?" a third member asked them.

"Of course, we do! What else did you think we were gonna do with them? We'll capture them and use them as punching bags for our training. The next battle against the Zaibatsu or the G Corp demands that we toughen ourselves!" the leading member told them. "Besides, our leaders would be more than happy to have them in the Shadow Coliseum" he added.

That being said, more members of the Resistance wearing gas masks suddenly appeared in the alleyway. The smoke soon vanished, yet they still wore them on. One by one, the unconscious fighters were carried out of the alleyway and into the nearest truck. Where they would be taken, was yet to be determined. Even so, the Resistance seemed to have more than ideas for them as well as everyone who was in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 7.

* * *

 _Near a Manji Party outpost, near the mountain of Sakiyama, Japan_

Because of the Tekken Force making their move in Kamida, the ninjas of the Manji Party had been forced to retreat into the shadows. While Yoshimitsu had made sure that Xiaoyu and the other fighters he knew could escape, he realized that he and his men were no match for an entire squadron of the Tekken Force. And more importantly, Yoshimitsu had witnessed Nina rescue the group, she he trusted that she would take them to safety.

Since the incident at Kamida, Yoshimitsu and his ninjas had returned to the Manji Party outpost at Sakiyama, in hopes of recuperating from their recent clash. But given the caring leader he was, Yoshimitsu checked on his fellow ninjas to see if they were alright. In other words, he was following his instincts as a leader.

One of them bowed his head before him with the uttermost respect for their leader. "We are fine, master. A mere bullet from the Tekken Force is not enough to put an end to us" he replied.

"But why were they even in Kamida?" a kunoichi asked. "Whatever reason they have, it appears that we must be careful here in Gifu from now on" she added.

Yoshimitsu, who was listening to what the kunoichi was saying, had his attention directed towards the nearby trees. While he was confident that he and his followers were safe at this outpost, there was something lurking beyond that forest. Drawing his sword, Yoshimitsu decided to make a move, much to the confusion of his followers.

"Master, where are you going?" one of the ninjas asked him.

This made Yoshimitsu stop, and he looked over his shoulder to face him. "I am going to do a little scouting. Something tells me that there are foes sneaking around Sakiyama. You all stay here at the outpost. Do not follow me, is that clear?" the swordsman questioned them, to which the ninjas made respective bows to him in return.

With that taken care of, Yoshimitsu entered the forest by using the branches as a way of getting through the woods. Being a skillful ninja, Yoshimitsu could use this to his advantage. But right now, he was feeling slightly anxious about whoever could be sneaking around Sakiyama.

"This is not possible. Is the Mishima Zaibatsu or the G Corporation searching for us? If so, then who in the right mind would share intel of the Manji Party with them?" Yoshimitsu wondered, yet something else hit in the swordsman's head. "Wait. It may not even be one of them! That could only mean one thing" he remarked as he continued to jump from branch to branch.

When he neared the end of the forest, Yoshimitsu made sure that he hid himself well among the leaves on the trees. He realized that he was nearing the Matsuda Dam. Fortunately, there were trees surrounding that area. He could use them to hide while at the same time get a look at the people who were standing by the road. Once he did that and got a perfect glimpse of what he was seeing, Yoshimitsu's fear became a reality.

Parked near the fields were two monster trucks driven by this alliance calling itself L'ordine. The swordsman could see every member sitting by a table out on the fields. Claudio Serafino, Bryan Fury, Feng Wei, Sergei Dragunov, Armor King and Kunimitsu were having some kind of meeting, as there were lights on the table. But Yoshimitsu was horrified of seeing two of his worst enemies not far from the outpost. Then again, he decided to eavesdrop on them. But he had to conceal himself and make sure Bryan wouldn't detect his appearance. He was a cyborg after all. In addition to that, they were being guarded by several exorcists from the Archers of Sirius.

"I am sorry for what happened back in Kamida, my friends. Never would I have imagined that the Tekken Force would appear and interfere with our plans. Therefore, I have decided we shall have some relaxation for now. After all, we barley managed to escape them" Claudio spoke up while holding up a glass of red wine in his hand.

His compatriots were also holding alcoholic beverages. Kunimitsu held up a cup of sake, Feng held up a bottle of baijiu, Bryan held up a can of beer, Dragunov held up a glass of vodka and Armor King held up a bottle of tequila. It was apparent that they were now having some kind of drinking.

"Cheers to us and our accomplishments!" Claudio spoke up.

"CHEERS!" his compatriots minus Dragunov replied and they all drank what they had.

Armor King, who privately enjoyed drinking liquor, was the first to finish his drink. It felt refreshing. Truth be told, he and his late older brother would often drink liquor together after a round of sparring. But those days were long gone, something Armor King resented.

"Ah, there is nothing like a cold drink in the evening. We deserve this, especially with what we went through" Armor King spoke up.

Bryan snorted in return. "Heh. This day would've been much better if those damn Mishima-lapdogs would've interfered! And just when I thought I would get my hands on that irritating swordsman" the pale-skinned man lamented not being able to kill Yoshimitsu.

Kunimitsu smirked with her crimson lips. "I can fully sympathize with your distaste for Yoshimitsu. Having been his subordinate once, I know the kind of man he really is" the kunoichi told him, yet se was slightly facing the mountain that could be seen. "Speaking of which, I've only heard rumors, but there is a chance that the Manji Party has an outpost somewhere near Sakiyama. I met Yoshimitsu in Nakatsugawa, so it could be true" Kunimitsu then noted.

"You don't say…" Bryan noted with a smug look.

"Even so, a mere outpost is of no interest to the rest of us. The same goes for that swordsman" Feng spoke up, facing both Bryan and Kunimitsu with his dragon-like eyes. He then faced Claudio. "Now then, exorcist. I take it you have not heard the news, but Heihachi Mishima has now declared himself the winner of this ongoing war. How does that make you feel?" the Chinese Kenpo master asked Claudio.

The moment he was asked this, Claudio's narrowed with disgust at the mentioning of that name. "I have indeed heard the news, let alone read his announcement. Still, it does not change my opinion of him nor any of his family. A Mishima is still a Mishima" he replied to Feng's question.

"But aren't you planning on attending the Mishima Zaibatsu Victory Celebration Banquet tomorrow? Maybe he will appreciate it and seek to rekindle his relationship with you and your order" Kunimitsu asked him.

"Assurdo! That fiend merely used our alliance to legitimize his war effort. The Archers of Sirius will not repeat the same mistake by allying itself with a power-hungry man such as Heihachi" Claudio hit back at her, yet he calmed himself. "That being said, there is a much better cause for me to follow. And that is to hunt the demons that remain on this world" he added before taking a sip from his red wine.

"Yeah, so why bother chasing after those brats?" Bryan asked about Xiaoyu, Asuka and Hwoarang. "If it's the Kazama punk you're after, then I doubt those three will be of ever good use to you. He's been MIA since that incident above Tokyo skyline" the cyborg added.

Armor King felt the need to speak his mind, given that he was reminded about something. "I do recall something. The Tekken Force squadron that attacked us in Kamida said they were after informants of the rebels. By that, I assume it could have been those three. But it is too early to come up with a conclusion" the masked luchador said.

"Or maybe they thought we were those so-called informants" Feng pointed out. "But I have heard rumors about a breakaway faction of the Tekken Force. Sadly, I have no idea where their hideout is" the Chinese man revealed to his compatriots.

This made Claudio intrigued. "Fascinating. To think that there is someone who did defy Heihachi" the Italian man mused to himself.

"You don't suppose that those Tekken Force rebels could know where Jin is" Kunimitsu spoke to him.

"It may be too early to find the answer, signora. But I admit, that is a possibility" Claudio replied to the kunoichi. "Not to mention, I have heard that there is a lot of things happening in Kyoto lately. Now I even hear rumors that there is an international movement of people called the Resistance lurking in the city's streets and beyond. Perhaps we should visit Kyoto after we finished here" the exorcist suggested to his compatriots.

Bryan grunted in reply. "Whatever. As long as I get my fun of beating up people, I'll tag along" he told Claudio with little enthusiasm.

"Then Kyoto it is" Armor King said in agreement of going to Kyoto.

Dragunov, who had not spoken since this meeting had commenced, simply nodded his head as a yes to Claudio's suggestion. Even in events such as this, the Russian soldier was as antisocial as one like him could be. Unsurprisingly, he had not drinken much vodka.

When he realized that Feng and Kunimitsu also were in favor of heading to Kyoto, Claudio smirked. He raised his glass of wine once again, encouraging his compatriots to do the same with their drinks. "Then it's decided! We will head to Kyoto in the morning. But until then, let us enjoy this peace for now. We have all earned it. Cheers to our cause!

"CHEERS!" everyone minus Dragunov said as they continued drinking their beverages.

But while they had been enjoying themselves, Yoshimitsu had managed to hear everything they said by the table. Knowing that there was nothing left for him to do, the swordsman silently retreated to the outpost at Sakiyama, carefully making sure that he wasn't followed. He could now breath a sight of relief, knowing that neither Bryan nor Kunimitsu would bother him…for now. But Yoshimitsu still knew how things were not back to normal, even after Heihachi had announced his victory. Yes, the swordsman knew that there was more to come that would put the world in constant risk. Only time would tell when.

 _To be continued…_


	26. Plan to Regain Morale

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Plan to Regain Morale**

 _Inside the new G Corp HQ in Jakarta, Indonesia_

Since barley escaping death, Kazuya Mishima and his closes associates in the G Corporation's inner circle had retreaded back into safety. Because of the Millennium Tower's destruction, Kazuya had taken his allies out of Japan and to Indonesia. They had currently made the tall office building in the capital city of Jakarta their new HQ. But the transition was not easy. Even now, the streets of Jakarta were filled with anti G-Corp protests, the demonstrators holding up signs that called for Kazuya to be arrested and tried for war crimes. But it didn't stop there.

In his office in the new HQ, Kazuya watched on his computer and could see pictures from around the world. What they all had in common was that they showed protests against the G Corp, as well as calls for Kazuya to be arrested. They happened everywhere, from Canada, Austria, Kenya, Brazil and even New Zealand. Every demonstrator had gotten to know the truth about the G Corp's CEO, whom was supposed to be their hero and savior. Since he had now been exposed as a demon, that support had dropped dramatically.

Because of Heihachi's machinations, the fight between Kazuya and Revenant had been broadcasted throughout the entire Internet, especially when Kazuya had activated the powers of his Devil Gene. That revelation had only convinced the international community to disown Kazuya as their designated savior and start accepting the Heihachi and his Mishima Zaibatsu as their heroes.

Hanging on a wall, a giant television was already showing a news channel in informing about the new of Heihachi declaring himself the winner of this war. It also showed pictures of the UN General Assembly and the ICC. Apparently, there was now an ongoing debate about trying Kazuya and his associates for crimes against humanity.

" _In his address to the General Assembly at UN Headquarters in New York City, the General-Secretary of the United Nations called for all member nations to disavow the G Corporation as their savior. He went on to accuse its CEO, Kazuya Mishima, for violations of human rights and crimes against humanity. Additionally, the general-secretary declared that he along with other top diplomats would be attending the Mishima Zaibatsu Victory Celebration Banquet in Taito, Japan. Even by now, thousands of countries have turned against the G Corp and have begun accepting the Zaibatsu as his war's heroes. Now as for the International Criminal Court, it has already begun issuing an arrest warrant for Kazuya Mishima. Therefore, he will be arrested in whatever country he enters. With people protesting against the G Corp from Nairobi to Vienna, its leaders have yet to make a formal statement. A spokesperson for the G Corp declined to comment when asked by our reporters_ " that was what the news anchor said.

When he saw this, Kazuya scowled in return. He couldn't believe how ignorant the international community was behaving by accepting Heihachi as this war's "winner". After all, it was the Zaibatsu under Jin Kazama's leadership that had started the war, not the G Corp. But still, Heihachi had managed to twist the roles. Kazuya and his allies were now the ones being accused of war crimes against humanity. But then again, Kazuya was technically a wanted criminal, as was Anna Williams and Bruce Irvin. But up until his encounter with Revenant, Kazuya had managed to keep his identity secret to the entire world.

A couple of soldiers suddenly entered his office, yet they were technically guarding Bruce, Anna and the G Corp's own poster girl: Lucky Chloe. Apparently, they had been summoned to the office in order to discuss their next move.

Kazuya's eyes narrowed at the television screen, which was now showing Heihachi making his acclaimed speech to the diplomats and journalists gathered before him in the Zaibatsu's HQ. The sight of seeing his father boasting of being the winner infuriated the Japanese man. His closest associates could see that and they too felt resentful.

"So, the old fool has decided to have his own banquet? How neat" Anna sarcastically said.

Bruce growled with what he saw. "I swear, I would give anything just to knee that old bastard's face!" the Kickboxer expressed his rage when seeing Heihachi smirking and waving his hand on the screen.

But the two associates could now see Kazuya facing them and they both wondered what he was thinking as he had watched Heihachi's address. Lucky Chloe was the first to speak up, given that she was the youngest and always the curious one.

"What do we do now, boss? Public opinion is turning against us. Heck, people are even starting to reject me because of my contract with the G Corp! I'm on the verge of cancelling my tours! How am I supposed to rebuild my fanbase now that they associate me with you!?" Chloe was getting slightly hysterical and she wanted an answer to these problems. But Kazuya didn't reply, much to the teenage girl's distress. "Come on, boss! Just give me an answer, already! I can't even walk outside in the streets of Jakarta without getting booed at!" she added.

However, neither Bruce nor Anna seemed to take Chloe's worries for real. "Are you honestly saying that your reputation and fanbase is what matters to you most? Grow a thicker spine, little missy!" the Irishwoman rebuked the young girl and her worries.

"Agreed! Your fanbase will never die, as there will always dumb preteens who listen to your music and stream your videos day and night! I mean, you're an Internet-sensation!" Bruce joined in on the scolding.

Lucky Chloe was furious with what she was hearing, since both associates were now insulting her fame and fanbase. The blonde-haired otaku couldn't let that stand, given that her fans really mattered to her. She turned around and stuck her tongue out, once again demonstrating her bratty and childish tendencies towards her superiors. None of them were amused with what they were seeing.

"Really? This is how you respond to us?" Bruce asked, starting to laugh at Chloe in the process. "Talk about lack of maturity" he then mocked the teenage girl.

Chloe was about to open her mouth, yet Anna interrupted her. "Don't even bother. Anything that comes out of your mouth is nothing but nonsense anyway" Anna encouraged her not to speak up.

Kazuya was growing tired of such meaningless kafuffles, so he decided to get the attention of his associates. "Enough fooling around!" he called upon his associates to stop with whatever they were doing. Kazuya realized that he was now having their attention. "Do I have your attention? Good. Now let me explain to you the reason why I summoned you all here. As you all may know, Heihachi and his lapdogs are looking forwards to celebrate his victory tomorrow night" the man with the red eye informed them.

Bruce grunted. "Sure, we do. All those damn diplomats at the UN and other international organizations are falling for his fake charisma. But then again, such is the way of idiots. Nothing but ignorant dumbasses who believe in everything Heihachi says" the black-skinned man pointed out, not hiding his dispassion of the international community and their response to Heihachi.

"Precisely. But there is at least one positive thing about the upcoming celebration. While Heihachi believes that we are defeated, it gives us the perfect opportunity to exploit his arrogance and turn the tide of battle in our favor. We must use this chance to weaken him" Kazuya revealed to his associates.

Anna mused to herself with what she was hearing. "Ah, I like that suggestion. So what do we do? Will we be sneaking into the banquet and ruin it for the old man and his guests?" the brunette asked her superior with an intrigued fashion.

"No. Ruining a meaningless party won't get the entire world to dislike Heihachi" Kazuya told Anna, yet the Japanese man soon found himself forming a slight smirk on his face. "But downing the Mishima Zaibatsu satellite death ray most certainly will" he then noted smugly, thinking about the weapon of mass destruction his enemies possessed.

His associates were bemused by Kazuya's suggestion, especially Lucky Chloe. "Hold your horses! You're saying we should shoot down that satellite that almost vaporized us!? But that's…impossible!" the teenage girl expressed her doubt of the plan.

"As much as I hate to agree with this brat, she's actually right. No way we can do something like that" Bruce spoke up, although a part of him hated the fact that he agreed with Chloe.

"Plus, we have no weapon that is capable of accomplishing such, not even a powerful laser cannon. How do you expect us to even destroy that thing in space?" Anna was also having doubts about Kazuya's suggestion.

Still, Kazuya remained unfazed of their opinions. "We don't even need such to down that satellite. All that we need, is my Evil Eye and a tall structure to stand on. With those, downing the satellite death ray should be more than easy" he began explaining how he proceed with his plan.

"Oh, of course. We haven't forgotten the powers our esteemed boss possesses" Anna spoke, amused with how Kazuya was planning on proceeding with his idea. "But are you sure that your beam can reach up to space itself?" the brunette felt the need to ask him just to make sure.

"Without question, Anna" Kazuya informed his secretary.

Bruce was starting to like the idea, and it made him fully support Kazuya's decision. "Now that's an idea. I'll admit, it sounds interesting, Kazuya" he spoke in favor of his superior's plan.

"Okay, so now we have a plan. Then all you need to do is get upstairs to the rooftop and then fire that beam of yours!" Lucky Chloe exclaimed while smiling gleefully.

"No, Chloe. I can't do that from here. And we can not do that on top of a public building such as the Gama Tower" Kazuya said to the teenage girl.

"Why not?" Chloe asked him, feeling puzzled. "I mean, the Gama Tower is a large structure so you should be able to bring down that satellite" she pointed out.

Bruce, who had already understood the picture, decided to explain the details. "Don't you get it? This is a plan to make the Mishima Zaibatsu become the villains in this war once again. We must make it look like that it was them who downed that satellite, not us. That's why we can't do it from here or on a public skyscraper…...but we can do it on top of a Mishima Zaibatsu complex" Bruce realized what Kazuya had in mind, something the Japanese man greatly appreciated.

"Well said, Bruce. I must thank you for filling in for Chloe" Kazuya commended his close associate. "Yes, when the world discovers that the Zaibatsu is downing their own satellite which will then crash land upon Earth, it will make the international community reconsider their embrace of Heihachi. That is the reason why we can't make anyone suspicious of our plans" he continued explaining their next course of action.

"Now I understand. At first, I was confused, but after hearing this, I'm beginning to like it" Anna spoke in favor of Kazuya's plans. "Speaking of which, this tall Mishima Zaibatsu complex you speak of. You wouldn't happen to be talking about the…" Anna tried asking, yet Kazuya knew what she was after.

He nodded his head at her and began tapping on the computer that showed everyone a hologram picture of a tall skyscraper that stood on an island in the sea. In some ways, it looked like a giant piece of cake just lying on the water. What kind of island was that? Besides the picture, a map was shown that explained where specifically this island was.

"This is the building where my plans will commence on. The Mishima Zaibatsu Watchtower on Keelung Islet, off the coast of Taiwan. The Zaibatsu forcefully settled upon the island and used it as a means of keeping enemy navies in check. It may not be as large as the Burj Khalifa in the UAE, but its taller than Taipei 101, all the more reason for me to use it as my spot for firing my ray beam" Kazuya explained the building they would be "visiting". It was indeed tall, something his associates took notice of.

"Woah…...so damn high on a small island…" Bruce was at loss for words. "From what I know, Keelung Islet used to be a tourist attraction before the Zaibatsu laid claim to it. They probably settled there to keep China in check" he recalled from what he knew about that watchtower.

Chloe was also stunned by the height of this building, yet it reminded her about something. She soon realized it. "I think I've seen that building before. It was when I was on a tour in China. I took a quick trip to Taiwan. But I never felt the need to go visit the island" the teenage girl revealed. "But I do understand that only those working in the Mishima Zaibatsu will have access to that building" she added to her explanation.

Kazuya had to smirk when he heard what Chloe was saying. "Smart words, Chloe. Yes, in hopes of getting into that watchtower, we will have to use a keycard used by the soldiers guarding the island. That being said, we will begin our mission during the evening next day, when that old fool has his hands full with the banquet of his" the explained what he and his allies would do.

"Based upon this mission, I suppose only three and two squadrons would be enough for this assault upon Keelung Islet. Bear in mind that we must do this without letting Heihachi know" Bruce recommended the number of soldiers they use.

"Not to mention that we've no interest in conquering that watchtower" Anna joined in.

Kazuya was feeling himself proud as he and his allies were planning their attack upon Keelung Islet. "Agreed. But we will be the ones who spearhead this attack. Not just me, but you three, JACK-7, Gigas and Alex as well. United, we should be more than capable of reducing the watchtower's security to ashes" he spoke with a hint of pride in his voice.

His associates seemed to like the idea, although Lucky Chloe was still a bit unsure about whether the plan would work or not. Timidly, she wanted to ask her boss about something important. "Ummm…...how do we get to the island?" she asked him.

"We'll travel to Taipei first, then we'll head to Chilung and hijack one of the boats that are being used to transport soldiers and supplies to Keelung Islet. Once we're there, we will get to the top and try stealing a keycard that will allow us to get inside the watchtower" Kazuya replied. "We will fight our way through whatever security they have until we reach the top of the watchtower. I will bring down that satellite and show Heihachi which of us will be laughing last" he added, feeling so keen on ruining Heihachi's moment of triumph.

"Nice plan. I'll go and check on Jane and see if JACK-7 is prepared for the mission" Bruce told Kazuya before leaving.

"And I'll see what Giga's up to. Our researchers say that he's been acting quite odd lately" Anna said and took off.

Lucky Chloe knew what she could do before the mission began. "I'll just go and talk with my manager about my plans for an autograph booth. But don't worry, this mission will be top priority" the teenage girl told her boss. She also exited the office.

Now that they had a plan, Kazuya's associates knew that they would have to be prepared for the upcoming mission. But they had yet to know whether bringing down that satellite would make people turn against Heihachi. Obviously, Kazuya had hatched out a perfect plan to get back at his father for the humiliation he suffered at the Millennium Tower. Hopefully they would also get payback, given that Heihachi's schemes had also resulted in them loosing their lives.

"Enjoy your victory while you can, Heihachi. Because soon, your luck will run out" Kazuya mused to himself while thinking about his hated enemy.

As Kazuya faced the screen of his computer, he couldn't help but to notice something that caught his interest. It was a file that read as " _Secret Files_ ". Knowing better than to wait, Kazuya decided to see what they were. Once he looked into them, the Japanese man realized one thing: these files belonged to a former executive of the G Corporation: Dr. Emma Kliesen. Truth be told, this very office had once been hers. But during Kazuya's takeover of the conglomerate, he had ruthlessly murdered some of the executives who opposed him, Emma being among them.

There was a particular reason for why Kazuya had killed Emma, not just because of her disobedience. He found out about her past membership in the Mishima Zaibatsu, as she had worked in its science division under the mad scientist Dr. Abel. However, Emma seemed to know something more about Kazuya than what he could understand. Slowly, his mind started drifting back to the night Emma had died.

"I have something to share with you…something even your own father doesn't even know!" Kazuya recalled the scientist saying those words out of frustration and anger. "Kazuya Mishima…you have a son!" that word is what had made the Japanese man enraged.

After a hole in her stomach, Kazuya could only unleash more rage towards the woman. "What kind of question is that!? I know that already! But I bear no love towards him!" Kazuya had then retorted hatefully.

Although she was mortally injured, Emma still possessed the strength to speak. "I'm not speaking of Jin Kazama…." Emma had said while coughing out blood from her mouth. "Yes, Mishima. I am speaking of…your son…...your other son…your illegitimate son…the one that you have never known of…he is still alive….and walks on this world" she added.

In anger, Kazuya would break Emma's neck and choke her to death, but not before listening to more that came out of the German scientist's lips. It managed to make the usually ruthless Kazuya hear her words. Since that night, Kazuya had difficulties in accepting their accuracy.

"You may not want to believe in my words…...but I will tell you in how this other son of yours will meet you one day. He has never known who he really is…...but he will one day discover the blood of Mishimas that runs through his veins…and then, he will see who he truly is….but mark my words…that son of yours is one of pure blood, one that has had his demonic influence of yours taken away….he will be a great man, a man greater than what you or your father ever was" those words had continued to slightly haunt Kazuya's mind.

But even as they did, the ongoing war had made it easier for him to dismiss Emma's last words as nothing but a pathetic attempt to break him mentally. And he would certainly not give much thought now, given that he already had a plan to ruin Heihachi's short-lived victory. The very thought of it filled the man with the red eye with satisfaction.

* * *

 _Somewhere in the center of Kyoto, Japan_

Morning had arrived in the city of Kyoto, especially in the modern districts and neighborhoods. While people were busy in the streets as usual, there was many activities happening in the alleyways and narrow streets that had no people walking. In places like these, people would do things that was not recommended in the public, such as opposing the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation. There were many groups who were doing that, but perhaps the one most famous was the movement calling itself the "Resistance".

In one of the buildings that resembled other an old apartment complex or a warehouse, members of the Resistance were thriving inside, doing all kinds of activity such as gambling and partying. Why they did such remained a mystery, but all members of the Resistance had rejected the international community and had decided to oppose the Zaibatsu and the G Corp on their own terms. But they relied on guerilla tactics instead of open warfare. However, they Resistance had made preparations for the battles, as they were having a cage fight in what appeared to be a basement. People were chanting and hoping that the fighter they had betted on would win.

But deep in the building's basement, Asuka, Julia, Lili, Hwoarang and Xiaoyu had awoken, only to find themselves stuck behind bars. They all were in disbelief with the situation they were in, yet soon realized how they had gotten there due to the fact they had been put to sleep by smoke grenades. Now, they were each stuck in their own cell.

"What the hell is this place? Is this some kind of sick bondage club or something!?" Hwoarang demanded as he held onto the bars of his cell. "Hey! Whoever's out there! Let me out!" the Korean man didn't hold back his anger.

"How unfortunate. Apparently, those men must have brought us to this awful place while were unconscious due to the smoke grenades" Lili remarked. She tried to see if Sebastian was in the other cells, but he wasn't. "Oh no, Sebastian's not here. The nerve these people have to separate us from one another!" the rich girl was angry with the fact that the members of the Resistance had taken her butler away.

Julia adjusted her glasses. "And not just him. My mom, Bob and Ganryu are not with us, not to mention Steve, of course" the brunette spoke up.

Asuka was fuming with anger given that she was imprisoned. "That British jerk better not have run on us! If he has, then I'll get his ass when I get out of this cell!" the Japanese girl let her rage dominate her thoughts.

Xiaoyu didn't share Asuka's assumption of Steve. "Steve hasn't backed out on us! Remember, he ran after Nina in order to have a talk with her!" the Chinese girl pointed out.

"Oh really? Then why hasn't he come back!?" Asuka retorted to Xiaoyu's question.

"Hey! Don't you take that tone with me, you nasty tomboy!" Xiaoyu could not stand being spoken to like that.

Asuka felt her anger strengthen itself as she heard Xiaoyu. "What are you gonna do about it!? Say that to my face one more time, spunky brat!" she hit back at the Chinese girl.

Julia, Lili and Hwoarang were all annoyed by hearing this confrontation grow between Asuka and Xiaoyu, as they knew this wouldn't benefit them, let alone develop a plan of how to get out of the place they were in.

"Girls, just cut it out! None of you are helping us with figuring out on how to deal with this!" Julia scolded the two, thus forcing both girls to stop speaking to one another. Sighing in relief, Julia decided to continue. "Now then, we better figure out where to find mom and the others and how to get out of this place. Any of you got any ideas?" the four-eyed brunette asked her friends.

Hwoarang was dumbfounded by that question. "You can't be serious. How do you suppose we can get out when we're stuck in these cells? We don't even have the keys to them, genius" the Korean man rebuked Julia's suggestion.

Still, it didn't end Julia's determination. "Unlike you, I'm not a quitter. So I will not stop figuring out a way to get of this messy place" Julia spoke with determination.

"Tch, whatever you say" Hwoarang spoke up, not taking notice of Julia's will to find a out of the cells.

"He does have a point when it comes to the keys, though" Lili spoke up, searching around the room for any keys. "I can't seem to find them anywhere, not even on that table. Could they perhaps be in one of the drawers?" the blondie wondered, trying her best to assist Julia.

"I take it you must be looking for these" a voice could be heard from the dark in the room. The prisoners snapped, as they were shocked to realize that they were not alone in this room. The lights on that part soon turned on and about four people were seen standing there. The one who had spoken, as well was holding the keys was a Chinese girl dressed in a fashionable magenta Chinese martial arts outfit. Her black hair was tied into a bun. "Even so, none of you will be going out. Not until we say so" the girl added sternly.

When Xiaoyu saw that girl, her eye widened. Although it had been a long time since she had visited China, she knew who that girl was. "It can't be…...Hu Yue…is that you?" she asked in disbelief.

The girl named Yue had taken notice of Xiaoyu, and she had to smile at her smugly. "Long time no see, Ling Xiaoyu. I take it this new hairstyle of mine makes me unrecognizable, huh?" she told him.

Xiaoyu didn't have words to say anything. She was so confused. "But how…...I mean, why are you…." Xiaoyu was at loss for words.

"Hold on a second, Xiaoyu. Do you know that squirt?" Hwoarang asked his friend.

The Chinese girl couldn't help but to lower hear head slightly. "She's a childhood friend of mine back in China. We used to train a lot together before I left for Japan. But I did see here during my last trip to China, though" Xiaoyu spoke up, although a part of her felt somewhat reluctant to go into detail.

Yue frowned when she heard that. "Yeah, but there's more to that story. You ended up becoming Heihachi Mishima's number one groupie! And you probably still are for not just him, but Jin Kazama as well!" she attacked her.

"I'm no one's groupie, Yue! I follow my own heart! And the reason our friendship ended was because of your smugness, let alone the fact that you had broken grandpa's trust!" Xiaoyu retorted back, confirming the fact that she and Yue had trained together under Wang's tutelage.

"Spoken like a true groupie" Yue insulted her, brushing off Xiaoyu's assertion. "And for your information, I never betrayed Master Wang! He let me go on my own accord!" she added to her insistence.

So this is the Mishima fangirl you were speaking of, eh Yue?" one other captors questioned her comrade. It was a Japanese girl with a messy brown ponytail in full fringe. She wore a leather jacket with a pink and dark brown color scheme that had a zipper down the middle, buttons on the collar and bottom and pink shoulder and elbow pads continuing to her forearm for protection. She was also wearing dark brown jeans, matching boots and gloves decorated with the colors pink, black, and yellow. "Well, that's the girl I was talking about. Asuka Kazama, the one who's related to that poor bastard Jin" she told Yue and pointed a finger at the Japanese brunette behind bars.

Asuka was surprised yet angry at the same time. But on the other hand, she recognizes something about this girl. "Wait! Don't I know you from somewhere?" she asked the girl dressed as a biker.

The biker girl crossed her arms while shrugging her shoulders. "You know me damn well! Don't you remember our encounters back in Osaka? You loved picking on bosozoku gangs in the city, including the one I belonged to!" she replied to Asuka's questions.

"I've dealt with many bosozoku in Osaka before. But I do remember…" Asuka suddenly got a realization when she started to gradually recognize this biker. "Now I know! You're that biker who had this weird nickname! Rudy, wasn't it?" she then asked the biker.

This made her only cringe. "It's Ruby! Rudy's a boy's name, you ignorant dumbass!" she corrected Asuka. "But that was when my group was at its peak, until you ruined us! So from now on, you can call me Rumi Kusakabe!" she then told Asuka her real name.

Asuka was unfazed at this. "Makes little difference, honestly" she pointed out, yet the Osakan had more to say to Rumi. "But look, I only beat you and your gang of bikers up because you and a rival bosozoku were causing trouble in Osaka! Therefore, it's safe to say that you brought your own downfall on yourself!" Asuka then told her.

This brought anger to Rumi, and she felt more than willing to launch herself at Asuka, despite the fact that she was behind bars. "You little bitch! You destroyed my bike, yet you still claim to be all innocent and shit! That's why you'll pay for ruining my bosozoku career!" she was on the verge of actually doing it, only to be restrained by two men.

"Yo! Get a grip, would ya!? She's already behind bars!" the muscular man with blonde hair, a white tank top and ragged jeans tried his best to reason with her. "Help me with this, Taiga!" he then told his partner, who was a Japanese man with long black hair tied into a ponytail and dressed in a white Karate gi.

"I am already doing the best I can, Isaak. You should do the same thing" he told his partner in a calm manner.

Julia was growing very agitated by this nonsense. "Alright! Enough fooling around! I wanna know why are you holding us captive in these cells! I mean, did that fight we caused in Gion really upset you that much!?" the brunette demanded some answers from the group of captors.

The man named Taiga faced Julia, although he was also making sure that the others were listening to what he was saying. "The reason for that is simple. You are all contributing to the Mishima Zaibatsu's senseless need to fool and deceive people" he answered plainly.

The captured fighters were all confused by this. "What the hell are you talking about?" Hwoarang asked, irritated since he didn't understand.

The man named Isaak stepped forward. "What Taiga is trying to explain is that you guys are only helping in fueling the greediness that the Zaibatsu is seeking. They want to exploit the world's population for their own benefit!" he spoke in an aggressive manner.

Lili put her hands on her hips. "But you can't just blame us for something the Zaibatsu is doing! I mean, we never had any role in the ongoing war!" the rich girl pointed out.

"Shut your mouth. You're not the one who's gonna tell us what to believe in" Isaak brought Lili to silence, the Monegasque girl astounded by his rudeness.

Seeing this made Hwoarang smirk in amusement. "My, aren't you the aggressive man? You most likely talk crap to everyone you come across, even girls" the Taekwondo fighter remarked, likely as an insult to Isaak.

The blonde-haired man narrowed his eyes at Hwoarang. "What was that!? I dare you to say it to my face one more time! So why don't you repeat it, you mother…" Isaak said, yet he was immediately calmed down by Taiga. The Japanese man shook his head at him as a no, thus encouraging Isaak to not give into Hwoarang's taunt. "You're right…sorry that I lost my cool" he then apologized to his partner.

Taiga then decided to inform the captive of who they were. "We are the leaders of the Resistance, an organization that has existed since Jin Kazama betrayed mankind when he declared war upon the entire world. With all the human lives that has been lost to this senseless warmongering, the Resistance has sworn to reject either side. Even by now, people across the globe is supporting our cause. We don't even need help from the United Nations and the international community to continue our battle for freedom" the Japanese man explained who they were, as well as what this Resistance was.

Xiaoyu had to admit she was surprised to see how someone like Taiga and his friends was able to make such a diverse movement. She had never heard of the Resistance during the sixth tournaments. "So that's why most of the members are former contestants of the tournaments. The Resistance consists of underdogs who has failed in the tournament, as well as those affected by the global war" she expressed her astonishment of this group.

"Correct. And we know that you still have feelings for that mass murderer, Xiaoyu!" Yue spoke up, not hiding her distaste for Xiaoyu's secret crush on Jin. "And to think that even after what he has done, you still feel attached to him! Don't you have anything to say, Xiaoyu!?" the black-haired girl added.

Xiaoyu felt enraged when she heard that. "That's none of your business! You have no idea what I've experienced over the years, Yue!" she hit back at her.

Taiga stepped forward to the cells. "So, you are close to Jin Kazama? How interesting. You see, I too was a friend of his. My name is Taiga Miyagi" he introduced himself formally.

"But I don't know you" Xiaoyu said, knowing that this man had not attended Mishima High like she and Jin had. "But do you know him?" Xiaoyu then asked him.

"Yeah, how do you know him?" Hwoarang joined in, starting to wonder whether this guy had actually crossed paths with Jin once. The Taekwondo fighter also took notice of his clothes. "And from the looks of your outfit, you seem to be a practitioner of Karate, in the traditional style of course" he added.

Taiga closed his eyes as he started recalling the man he was once friends with. "You are correct. I once knew Jin. Like him, I am also a master in Karate. Truth is, he and I trained together in a Karate dojo in Brisbane, Australia. We became close friends. And I had hoped that we would one day meet again. But when he became the ruler of the Mishima Zaibatsu, he was a different man than the one I had trained alongside with and respected like a sparring partner" he revealed the connection he had with Jin.

The captive fighters were stunned by this revelation. Hwoarang on the other hand, was amused by hearing it. In fact, he only felt the need to ask him more about Jin.

"So you trained alongside Jin, huh? Must've been nice. Let me ask you, did you ever manage to beat him?" the Taekwondo fighter asked him.

In response, Taiga narrowed his eyes at him. "I have no comment to such meaningless question. And truth be told, I now feel ashamed of having trained alongside him now that he's been responsible for crimes against humanity. As such, I can't forgive him" the man with the ponytail informed Hwoarang, although the others were listening too.

Isaak stepped forward and stood beside his partner. "And from what we understand, some of you guys have had dealings with Jin Kazama in the past. Especially you three" he said while pointing out to Hwoarang, Xiaoyu and Asuka. But he then started glancing at the Japanese girl with a confused expression. "And that leads me to ask you this, girly. Are you Jin's younger sister or something?" he asked Asuka.

This caused Asuka to burst out in anger. "For the last time! Me and him are not related! Get it through your thick skull!" she verbally attacked him.

"Duh! You still share the same last name, girly" Isaak pointed out to her.

"Still doesn't mean we're related! And stop calling me girly! The name's Asuka Kazama! Get it right, you damn junkie!" the Japanese brunette didn't withhold her anger towards him.

Isaak spat on the floor, as if he was not listening to what Asuka said. "First of all, I'm no junkie! These muscles were earned through intensive training in the IDF. You see, I was in the Israeli military, as well as a master in Krav Maga. The name's Isaak Lichtenfeld" the man introduced himself as a formed soldier in Israel's army.

Hwoarang suddenly whistled in amazement. "Woah, so you were also dragged into the military? Well, looks like you and me have at least one thing in common, not that it matters anyway" the Korean man remarked.

Isaak narrowed his eyes in response. "In Israel, conscription is mandatory" he told Hwoarang, who still didn't seem to care.

Lili, who was feeling worried about Sebastian, was having enough of being ignored. "You guys better not have done anything terrible to my butler! Otherwise, I'm gonna make you regret it!" Lili spoke up, feeling very concerned for her butler's well-being.

Rumi stepped forward. "Don't get your panties in a twist. They're all safe…behind bars, of course" the Japanese biker girl reassured Lili.

"And like you, they will not be let out" Taiga spoke up, his voice as stern as iron itself. "People like you will not spread more depravity among the people of this world" he added, not hiding his supposed authority over them.

"Hold the phone! You can't blame us for someone else's actions!" Julia spoke up, the American girl expressing her dismay with what she was seeing. "I'm not gonna lie, your movement fights for a great cause, but we actually share the same interest in ending this war!" she then told them.

Isaak scratched the back of his head. "Too bad for your, four eyes! Do you even know where you're at?" he questioned them smugly. None of the captives seemed to have an answer, which made Isaak amused. "Of course, you wouldn't know. This is the Shadow Coliseum, the place where we live as we like while planning our moves against the Zaibatsu and the G Corp. It's also here where we are allowed to test our skills" the punkish man added.

When Hwoarang heard what was being said, he felt himself getting excited. He couldn't believe that the Shadow Coliseum truly existed in this place. "You're for real, right?" he asked his captors.

"Huh? What are you getting so excited for?" Rumi quizzed him.

The Korean man immediately grabbed the bars while facing them with a determined expression. "You guys gotta let me out of here! I wanna see it for real!" he told them, yet Rumi and her accomplices were confused. "You heard me! I wanna see the cage fight! Don't think for a second that I've not heard about the Shadow Coliseum and it's fights!" he added.

Yue and Taiga were not impressed with Hwoarang's demands, yet Isaak and Rumi were. The Japanese biker and the Israeli ex-soldier both looked at each for a minute before nodding their heads with smirk on their faces. They knew what to do with him, as Rumi walked over to Hwoarang's cell and unlocked it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Yue wanted an answer, feeling confused by what the Japanese girl was doing.

Rumi faced at her comrade with a smirk. "What does it look like? We're adding a new gladiator to the Shadow Coliseum. If this punk thinks he can last long in the cage fight, I say we give him a chance" she replied smugly. But Rumi soon directed her attention to the Korean man in the cell. "Besides, I'll be more than happy to give him a piece of my mind with my Judo! Surely you can understand that" she added.

Yue was dumbfounded by this, yet Taiga sighed in slight irritation. But he didn't seem to be bothered by what Rumi and Isaak were doing. "Very well. You may do with him as you please" he responded to them bluntly.

The cell to Hwoarang opened and Isaak was immediately on the defensive, ready to make sure that their captive wouldn't try to escape. "You better not be pulling any tricks now. Otherwise, you'll end up kissing the floor" the Israeli man said while standing ready for anything Hwoarang would do.

Still, the Korean man didn't pay much heed to Isaak's threats. "Don't get so worked up. I'm only interested in seeing this Shadow Coliseum" he responded.

But Hwoarang's friends were outraged to see how he had suddenly started to get all comfy with their captors. At first, they had assumed that he was tricking them so that he could snatch the keys from Rumi's hold. But he didn't. It all confirmed the fact that Hwoarang was indeed ditching them for being able to see the Shadow Coliseum.

"Hey, Hwoarang! What's the meaning of this!?" Xiaoyu was furious with what she was seeing the Korean man do.

"Yeah, are you just gonna leave us behind!?" Asuka held onto the bars and lashed out at Hwoarang.

In response, Hwoarang turned around and glanced at those two girls. "Shut your traps! I've always wanted to see what the Shadow Coliseum is, and I sure as hell am not planning on ditching it just to bust you girls out!" the Taekwondo fighter responded, much to the outrage of the girls.

Isaak had to chuckle in amusement. "Woah, you got no regrets leaving them behind. Quite a harsh personality, if you ask me" he commented of Hwoarang's personality.

"Shut up" the Korean man rudely replied.

As Hwoarang was escorted out by Rumi and Isaak, Taiga and Yue were soon to join them, but not before leaving some final words for the girls that remained behind bars. Taiga appeared to be the one speaking most, given that he was more serious when compared to his associates.

"You will remain in custody until further notice. And judging from who each of you are, the Resistance will have great need for your information. Until we meet again, foolish contestants" those were the last words of Taiga before he exited the room, leaving the girls all by themselves.

Lili held her hands to her hips. "How needlessly rude! To think he has the right to treat us ladies like prisoners! He will be sorry once we got out of here!" the rich girl didn't hide her dissatisfaction with being in this state.

But what Lili and Julia could see was that both Asuka and Xiaoyu were in deep thought, and not because of what Hwoarang had just done to them. Rather, it was because of the fact people they knew had supported them being behind bars. Neither seemed to have the answer.

"Yue….why are you doing this?" Xiaoyu thought about the girl she had trained alongside with back in China during their childhood. "Did my decision to go to Japan really make you that resentful towards me?" she wondered to herself.

Meanwhile, Asuka was thinking about the same thing with Rumi. "I just don't get it. You may have been a bosozoku, but at least you had some decency in you. But to think that you would go this far just to get back at me" Asuka felt a hint of dispassion forming in her mind.

As the two girls were pondering about their newly created enemies, Lili had to giggle in amusement. "Now this is interesting. It seems to me that you two have something in common. You both have been imprisoned by a former friend" the blondie said in a teasing manner.

Hearing this made Asuka snap at her. "Piss off, Lili! Rumi and I were NEVER friends! And don't you even dare trying to get under my skin once again!" the brunette's short temper was in full display for everyone to see. As a matter of fact, she even slammed her fist into the wall. "Damnit…this is one of the worst days of my life. I haven't felt this miserable since my dad was hospitalized" she cursed while facing the ground.

But as Asuka had done that, the wall had started to make noises. Julia, who had been the one taking best notice of this, decided to look at her wall in her cell. From what she could tell, it was pretty old, yet at the same time….also damaged. Julia could even see several cracks on her wall, and it suddenly gave her an idea. She leaned her right ear onto the wall and tried to listen to any sounds coming from the other side.

Her friends had begun to take notice of what Julia was doing and they become curious. "Just what are you doing?" Lili questioned the four-eyed girl.

She faced Lili with a smug expression. "Like it or not, I may have found a way out of here" she told her, yet Julia made sure that Asuka and Xiaoyu got hold of it as well. "Just look at the wall. From what I can tell, it doesn't look particularly stable enough" Julia pointed out.

Asuka took a look at the wall she had just punched, and she noticed it's cracks. "Woah….no kidding! This wall really IS cracking! Heck, I bet if I punched it with everything I had, it would collapse" the Japanese girl remarked.

"So that means we can escape from these cells by punching the wall. I don't know, it's worth the try…but it also sounds crazy" Xiaoyu said what she thought of this idea.

"Well, it's either that or be stuck in the cell. Come on, you do wanna get to Violet System's HQ, don't you? He may have an idea on how to stop this war….as well as where to find Jin" Julia explained this to Xiaoyu, making her remind what she really wanted.

The Chinese girl's head was filled with thoughts about the man she had grown close to. In some ways, Julia had a point. At this rate, Lee was probably the only one who seemed to possess true knowledge of Jin's whereabouts. She didn't know the business tycoon that much, but Xiaoyu still knew Lee to be quite the man when it came to sharing secrets. Clenching her fists, Xiaoyu remained firm, turning her attention to the wall.

"You're right, Julia. It's time that I got serious! I won't rest until I get out of this place! And no wall is going to keep me here! I will break it with all my might!" Xiaoyu was surprisingly feeling very determined to break the wall before her.

The other girls were stunned by Xiaoyu's newfound will to carry on, yet at the same time, they could not deny how they too had the will to break out. Each of the girls were facing their cells, ready to attack the wall with everything they had at any minute. They didn't know what to expect on the other side, but it was better than being stuck in those cells.

* * *

 _In Maruyama Park, Kyoto, Japan_

Steve Fox had spent the entire night sleeping in Maruyama Park. He had done so at a bench, and it was rough. But given how penniless Steve actually was, he didn't have any other choice. On the other hand, the British man had experienced a fateful journey yesterday. But perhaps the most important moments he could recall was when he found out more about the truth of his birth.

He had confronted and demanded answers from the Nina Williams, the assassin who was indeed his biological mother. She had told him everything about Mishima Zaibatsu laboratories that Steve himself had spent the early days of his life in. From what he could understand, the program was all about creating superpowered human soldiers for the Tekken Force. And given that Nina was under the Zaibatsu's captivity, her genes had been used for testing, which resulted in Steve being born.

"I know I got what I wanted yesterday…but for me, there is a lot more that remains unanswered" Steve thought, the Boxer prodigy know resting by the bridge that stretched over Maruyama Park's pond. As he thought of how his search had been interrupted by the interference of the Resistance, Steve cursed. "Damnit! Although I let her go in order to handle those oafish knobs, I was hoping that she as my mother would be interested in staying back and hear more from me! But I was such a fool!" he lamented his choices while slamming his gloved fist on the bridge.

Steve faced the pond beneath him. He was all alone now. True, after taking care of those thugs, he had rushed back to the alleyway to see if his friends were still there fighting. But he saw none of them, only the vehicle they had used to escape from Kamida with. With no one left to turn to, Steve would have to figure out a way to find Lei. But it was hard getting assistance from the Japanese police given the situation in the country.

"I don't know where those ruffians have taken my friends, but standing here and lamenting of my stupidity isn't going to do any better. I better start searching" the blonde-haired man come to a conclusion. But as he felt he was being confident, Steve could feel confusion brew within him. "Argh! I'm so goddamn confused! I don't have a cell phone! I don't know where Violet Systems HQ specifically is! And I don't know where my friends are! When did I become such a screwup!?" Steve slowly began to feel stressed, and he lowered his head at the edge of the bridge.

But that silence was interrupted when he could hear someone speak to him. "Are you saying that you feel lost?" the male voice that came from behind immediately caused Steve to snap and he turned around to see the two agents: Master Raven and Raven. It was Raven who had just asked him that question.

"WOAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Steve was on the verge of actually falling off the bridge, only for Raven to quickly grab him by the chain necklace around his neck, thus pulling him away from the bridge's end. The British man felt relieved that he was spared a bath in the pond, yet he was still mad at the agents. "WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU IDIOTS THINK YOU'RE DOING!? YOU CAN'T JUST SNEAK UP TO ME WITHOUT LETTING ME KNOW!" he didn't hold back his rage.

Raven only glanced at the Boxer prodigy with his arms crossed. "I simply asked you a question in a manner every normal person does. You're the one who started snapping like a mouse and lost control" Raven sternly pointed out to Steve, not getting what he was so upset about.

"You fucking Muppet…." Steve murmured in irritation, finding it unbelievable in how Raven was acting so sanctimonious towards him.

But Raven didn't appreciate the tone Steve was using just now. "That better be sarcasm you just used. Otherwise, I'll be more than happy to push you off this bridge" the man with the sunglasses warned him.

Steve threw his gloved hands up in the air. "Well excuse me for being sarcastic after you almost scared me to death by approaching me like some predators!" he hit back at the ninja.

Master Raven was growing tired of this charade, so she stepped in between her subordinate and the British man. "Enough! We don't have time for this nonsense! There is nothing to get all hissy about. And as for you, Raven. I thought you were trained in how to not let mere insults sway you that easily! Stop being such an imbecile!" she rebuked both, even her own subordinate/brother.

Raven crossed his arms, feeling disinterested in being schooled by his superior/sister. Sometimes, he just wished that Master Raven would stop acting all sisterly and strict towards him, although she perhaps was a different kind of sister. Then again, Raven did as she requested.

"You're right. I apologize" Raven spoke up, hoping to get Master Raven off his hide.

Steve let out a deep sigh, thus easing his stress level. "Anyway, what are you guys doing here in Maruyama Park? I thought you were supposed to be helping Lei with uncovering the truth about the Mishima-feud or whatever" he asked the agents.

"Detective Lei is perfectly capable of doing that on his own. After all, me and Raven were supposed to accompany him for protection" Master Raven replied, soon noticing the fact that Steve was alone. "And that leads me to ask you, where is your other friends? By that I mean Christie Monteiro, Leo Kliesen and Asuka Kazama" the black-skinned woman then asked Steve.

Steve was starting to recall what he had experienced. Realizing that he could trust the agents, he told them everything. He also mentioned how he and his friends were attacked by L'ordine led by Claudio Serafino and his associates. But at the very end, he told them the reason for why he had been left alone in Kyoto.

"So, you say that you were pursuing Nina Williams, yet members of this so-called Resistance interfered? And when you came back to the alleyway, your friends were all gone" Raven summarized what Steve had told him and his superior. "We didn't happen to spot that assassin on the way here. It's safe to say that she has left Kyoto" he added to his analysis.

Master Raven's eyes narrowed as she looked around where she was standing, suspicious of being watched. So far, there was nothing moving in the nearby bushes, which seemed to only confirm the fact they were alone. Still, she continued the conversation with Steve.

"HQ informed me about this group you speak of. The Resistance, an international movement that consists of former contestants of the King of Iron Fist Tournaments, as well as those harshly affected by the ongoing war. From what the files could tell, it is being led by four people" Master Raven informed Steve.

Raven looked at his superior. "These leaders, they're nothing but underdogs, or at least that's what HQ describes them as" the man with sunglasses remarked, recalling what he knew about these people. "Sadly, I only know one of them: Isaak Lichtenfeld. A former soldier in the IDF. I don't know when he helped found the Resistance, but he is rumored to be active in cage fights" he added.

"Indeed. And there are reports of cage fights happening in downtown Kyoto. It is in the basement of a building called the Shadow Coliseum" Master Raven spoke up, facing Steve in the process. "My assumption is that your friends must have been taken there, since it is routinely a hangout for members of the Resistance" she pointed out to him.

Steve couldn't help but to smile. "So that means we should go to wherever that place is and free them? Sounds good to me, I'm in" he spoke in agreement of what Master Raven was suggesting. "But you still haven't answered my question. What are you doing here? I mean, why did you come to me?" the British man asked them.

"Currently, we're staying in the Violet System's HQ along with rebels of the Tekken Force called Yggdrasil. It's leader, Lars Alexandersson, wishes to recruit new allies to help them fight against the threat from the Tekken Force. The Mishima Zaibatsu and the United Nations may think the war is over, but the UN's intelligence bureau begs to differ" Raven explained.

"So that means you want me and my friends to come with you to this Violet Systems, eh? I'll be more than happy to. But first, let's go save my friends" Steve told them.

Master Raven nodded her head at him in return. "My sentiments exactly. You will be more than helpful allies against our foes. Yggdrasil will value your assistance" she told him.

With no more reasons to stay in Maruyama Park, Steve and the agents began their move, hoping to find wherever this Shadow Coliseum was. Hopefully, this search wouldn't take long. Steve could only pray that none of his friends were hurt by whatever kind of shenanigans were up to.

* * *

 _Inside a hospital in Tokyo, Japan_

The group of fighters that had barely managed to survive the laser attack upon the Millennium Tower had been hospitalized and remained bedridden. Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Eddy Gordo, Shaheen, Bo "Rodeo" Montana, Katarina Alves, Christie Monteiro, Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen and Zafina had all suffered injuries due to Heihachi's schemes. Fortunately, ambulances were nearby to take them to the nearest hospital. While they felt better since that moment, a effect of almost being killed in the explosion that followed upon the laser beam's strike had taken a toll upon the fighters.

In one hospital room, Paul, Marshall and Rodeo were on bed while watching the news about Heihachi's recent announcement. The very sight of the Zaibatsu's CEO smiling in front of the public made them feel so mad.

"I can't believe this! That old bastard has the nerve to declare himself the winner of this damn war!?" Rodeo couldn't hold back what he was seeing on the screen. "Shit! I'm afraid things have gotten worse now" the soldier cursed.

Paul listened to what was being said. "Yeah, but you don't suppose that Kazuya is dead, right? I mean, we all know the kind of man he really is" the Judo fighter pointed out while scratching the back of his head.

"I could care less about him! The only guy that I'm worried about is Revenant! Believe me, that guy is someone who will never die, even from a powerful blast like the one we witnessed yesterday" Rodeo told Paul, his attention still focused on the screen. "That being said, it looks like the international community has started to make the Zaibatsu the good guys now. That upcoming banquet of theirs is bound to impress their guests" he added, while at the same time lamenting in how things were right now.

Although he had been listening so far, Marshall felt tired of hearing things about the Mishima Zaibatsu. "Alright. I've heard enough about those damn Mishimas!" the Chinese-American man didn't so much as hide his distaste for the family. "Paul, you know what I want. My dojo's not worth fighting for anymore. I just wanna go home to San Francisco and see my family" he then expressed what wanted most.

"Marshall…" Paul murmured, seeing how his best friend longed to see his family.

Rodeo, as moved as he was by hearing Marshall's desire, decided to speak his mind. "That sounds like a great suggestion. But it's also foolish at the same time" the US marine informed him.

"Woah….." Paul responded, unable to grasp what Rodeo just staid.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean!?" Marshall demanded an answer, angered by how Rodeo could say such to him.

Rodeo sighed. "You forget who really controls Japan, genius. It's not the Japanese government, but the Mishima Zaibatsu. You saw the news, they plan on hosting a great celebration in this country for this supposed victory. That means security will be tightened. And more importantly, ships will be patrolling alongside the coastline, thus making any attempt to leave impossible" he informed the two men.

"He's actually got a point there, Marshall. At this rate, we're stuck in Japan thanks to recent events. Hell, even flights have been cancelled" Paul agreed.

When he heard this, Marshall could feel his heart getting stung. It pained him to know that he would have to wait in order for him to see his family. He especially missed his son Forrest. Facing his lap underneath the blanket, the fighter/chef sighed in defeat.

"Alright. But at least we'll have to plan our next move" Marshall said.

In another room, Eddy was sharing room with Katarina and Christie. Like many other patients, they had also been informed of upcoming events. But it was not what dominated their conversation the most. Rather, it was the story about the creature Katarina had fought before the beam had hit the Millennium Tower. And that creature Katarina was speaking of was Gigas. They were stunned when they heard what the woman had experienced.

"Let me get this straight. You're saying that tall, hulking creature you were fighting…actually said your name?" Christie asked Katarina, the young girl unable to find words.

Katarina nodded her head. "Sim. Just when that thing was about to crush me…...it stopped. I first believe that it had to be some kind of malfunctioning or something. But when I heard it talk…it changed my opinion" she told her friends.

"And you say that it began feeling pain in his head and just run away from you?" Eddy joined in, the Capoeira fighter just as curious to know as Christie was. "I don't know what to say, but that thing was indeed human. To think the G Corp would be willing to weaponize innocent humans for their own amusement…." Eddy was dismayed with the practices of the conglomerate.

But even as Katarina were telling her friends about this encounter, something hit in the Brazilian woman's head. Ever since stumbling upon Gigas, as well as listening to him speaking her name, Katarina had started to wonder about only one thing and one thing alone. It was something she felt was not yet ready to share with her friends.

"That thing…its voice makes me think about the past…...about a pacifistic, but kindhearted man who took me in and saw the good in me…..." Katarina thought. "From what those bastados in the G Corp told me…..they claimed to have my father in their possession. And after seeing that creature and hearing its voice…I can't help but to wonder…was that really you…papai?" she was now thinking about her adoptive father, who had been captured by the G Corp at some point.

Neither Eddy nor Christie seemed to understand what Katarina was thinking. But they decided to let her figure it out on their own. But on the other hand, they also seemed to have gotten the picture Katarina had showed them. The very thought of it brought nothing but terror within the Brazilians.

In another hospital room, Leo was sharing it with Shaheen and Zafina. The German girl had been told by the two Arabic fighters of what they would do now that the Zaibatsu had been declared this war's supposed victors. But Leo was stunned to even hear what they also suggested.

"You gotta be kidding me! Are you guys saying that Kazuya is still alive!? Even after getting hit by a laser beam!?" Leo asked them in disbelief.

"Indeed. As absurd as it may sound, one can never deny the prowess Kazuya Mishima possesses" Shaheen informed the German girl, before starting to look out the window near him. "And I believe that he and his followers have left Japan in order to hide from the Tekken Force. Where they are now, we don't know yet" the Saudi Arabian man added to his analysis.

"Even so, it appears that any attempt to stand up against the Mishima Zaibatsu is now futile. The international community has already begun embracing them as their saviors" Zafina joined the conversation. "That alone will give Kazuya the perfect opportunity to undermine Heihachi. But how, is difficult to understand. After all, Kazuya must do more in order to redeem the G Corporation's tarnished image" the Egyptian woman then said.

Leo crossed her arms while thinking of this. "Hmm, if the G Corp really wants to redeem itself, then it would've done the right thing and gotten rid of Kazuya and his cronies before it was too late. At this rate, I bet that removing them wouldn't help the conglomerate one bit" she come up with a suggestion.

"I see your point. But I fear that this is only the end of a terrible chapter and the beginning of a new one. I advise you to stay alert, Eleonore Kliesen. Even now, Kazuya may be planning on his retaliation against the Zaibatsu" Shaheen told Leo.

Leo was not sure about this, yet she was more than happy to accept Shaheen's advice. The German girl didn't know what she would do once she was discharged from the hospital, but sooner or later, she would come up with something.

 _To be continued…_


	27. Under the Metropolis

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Under the Metropolis**

 _Inside Osaka Station, Osaka, Kansai, Japan_

It was busy inside the railway station in Osaka. After all, people were striving to get to their trains that were heading to different places across Japan. But in the main hall of the station, the two Korean Taekwondo masters: Baek Doo San and Shuwawei were standing in line to get tickets along with the Mexican luchador named King and the Australian Vale Tudo fighter named Craig Marduk. Baek, Shuwawei and Marduk had arrived in Osaka late last night. King had been receiving them greatly. This night, they had all been staying at a hotel in the city.

On the trip through Osaka Bay, Baek had told the two muscular wrestlers that he and Shuwawei had come to Japan in order to pick up his student: Hwoarang. The middle-aged Taekwondo master had grown concerned about Hwoarang's fixation upon finding Jin Kazama. While he was not sure about where to specifically look for his student, Baek had heard rumors about a lot of suspicious activity taking place in Kyoto. That was where he decided to begin his search for Hwoarang.

And of course, both King and Marduk were more than happy to accompany them, given that they had nothing else going on. But King was in secret worried for the wellbeing of his best friend, given that the masked luchador knew about Armor King still lurking in Japan. But since the tournament had been called off, King had no idea where he was. Still, King felt obligated to help Baek find his student, given that he and Shuwawei had actually paid off Marduk's medical bills.

After getting four tickets, the group was on their way to the place their train would be. "So we'll be taking a train to Kyoto?" Marduk asked the two Koreans as he walked.

"Damn straight. We'll be taking a trip on the Hankyu Railway. It ends in Kawaramachi Station in Kyoto. This trip won't take long, that's for sure" Baek replied.

Shuwawei smiled in hearing this. "True. While this train may not be as fast as a shinkansen, it's still a faster way to reach Kyoto than to rent a car or something. Besides, like Master Baek just said, the trio won't be long, given the short distances between Osaka and Kyoto" the young woman agreed with Baek's sentiment.

King seemed satisfied with the suggestion. "Okay. I see where this is going. But I need to ask Baek Doo San, how do we start looking for this student of yours?" the Mexican man asked Baek.

For a particular reason, Baek had his eyes closed. Apparently, he was recalling something he head learned in Osaka so far. "From what the rumors said, there is a reason for so much activity going on in Kyoto's streets. There exist a global movement that rejects the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation, and as a result they are rebelling against them. Sounds like anarchists to me" the middle-aged man answered, yet he was not finished completely. "However, the rumors also tell me of a place where cage fights are happening, in the basement of a building. It's an underground community, where people are testing their skills. It's a place called the Shadow Coliseum" Baek went on.

Shuwawei found herself sighing. "And let me guess, you suspect that Hwoarang would be interested in beating opponents in an arrangement such as a cage fight? Seems obvious" she remarked, understanding why Baek was believing this to be a clue in finding Hwoarang's whereabouts.

Marduk grinned when he heard the Shadow Coliseum being mentioned. "The Shadow Coliseum, eh? Man, would I love to enter a cage fight! I bet I could earn a fortune by beating every single opponent!" the tall man expressed his interest in the Shadow Coliseum.

King shook his head slightly. "Are you serious, Marduk? Competitions such as cage fights are a disgrace to sportsmanship everywhere. All the arrangers and spectators care about is money, nothing else!" King explained his dissatisfaction with cage fights as well as how they worked.

Marduk was surprised by his best friend's strong opinion, while the two Taekwondo fighters were amused by how King greatly resembled his predecessor in terms of personality.

"I'll have to hand it to you, King. You really do live up to your predecessor's reputation. From what I could tell, he too resented cage fights" Baek spoke up.

"I know. But still, he would do anything to help the poor and defenseless orphans in Mexico. That's why he collected money through his battles in order to build the orphanage. In the eyes of the orphans, he became their caretaker and father, with me myself counting among those orphans. I will never forget his selflessness" King spoke up, recalling so many fond memories about the great things the previous King had done for others.

Marduk was starting to feel slightly moved by the words King was saying. True, he had been knowing more about the luchador since they became best of friends. But there was always a thing that he had yet to fully understand with King. However, the Vale Tudo fighter didn't feel like giving so much thought at the moment. He could even see the train they were supposed to take.

"Oh, I guess that must be the train we're taking, right?" Marduk asked his friends.

Baek looked at it and nodded with a smile. "Yup. It seems to me that it's on the verge of leaving the station" the middle-aged man took notice of the train.

"Then we best hurry. Waiting for the next train will probably take hours" Shuwawei suggested to her friends.

"What? No way we're spending time in this big pile of scrap! Let's hurry up!" Marduk spoke up, surprisingly being more than willing to leave the station.

And so, the group sprinted towards the station, realizing they had a train to catch. Hopefully, they would reach Kyoto quickly and then begin the search for Hwoarang. But where specifically could this so-called Shadow Coliseum be found? Once they had arrived in Kyoto, Baek, Shuwawei and their newfound allies would probably have to searching for the place.

* * *

 _Outside a hospital in Tokyo, Japan_

Paul, Eddy and the other fighters who had witnessed the destruction of the Millennium Tower had finally been discharged from the hospital. It was only with tough luck that their injuries hadn't been that critical. But now that they were out, they each were confused about what to do. So, they had gathered themselves in order to have a little chat in what they should do next. What dominated this talk was the upcoming Mishima Zaibatsu Victory Celebration Banquet in the Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden in Taito.

"So, you guys won't head back to the US?" Leo asked Rodeo, Paul and Marshall, as they all had told them what they would do.

"We would've done that. But given that the Mishima Zaibatsu wants to celebrate their victory, they have blocked everyone from either leaving or entering Japan. Well, I do know that the banquet's guests will arrive by plane" Rodeo informed the German girl. "Besides, no ship is allowed to sail within Japan's waters, given that the Tekken Force have formed a blockade along it's eastern coastline. So in this rate, we're technically stuck" the soldier added to his statement.

Eddy felt himself feeling irritated as he heard that. "Droga. Then that means it will be impossible for us to return to Brazil" he spoke while referring to himself, Christie and Katarina.

"But isn't there an alternative to using ships?" Leo wondered, yet she quickly realized how it was an error on her part. "On second thought, I suppose the eastern coastline is blockaded as well" she added, realizing her mistake.

Both Shaheen and Zafina stepped forward, both of them wanting to tell their allies with where they were going. "Well, me and Zafina have decided to stop by Taito and observe this banquet Heihachi is planning. But after that, we will head to Kyoto and see if we can find Wang Jinrei" the Saudi Arabian man told everyone what they would do.

"You mean that ol' geezer? But why would you go look for him? Besides, I bet this banquet or whatever you call it is nothing but a fake celebration. Don't think that many guests will come" Paul spoke up, wondering why the Arabic fighters were interested in going after Wang.

Zafina narrowed her eyes at him. "This battle is not yet over. While it may appear that the Zaibatsu have won, their enemies still lurk in the shadows" she answered him in a serious manner. "And not to mention, Kazuya Mishima is still alive and out there somewhere. The same goes for is this cultist called Revenant" Zafina added, specifically facing Rodeo when she mentioned the mysterious cultist he was chasing.

A scowl was forming on the American soldier's lips. "I already know that. Revenant is someone who doesn't die so easily, even from a satellite's laser beam. I know that based upon past experiences. As much as I hate to say this, that bastard's still walking and breathing here in Japan. But I'm not sure where he could have run off to" Rodeo agreed with Zafina's words.

Marshall had to whistle in amazement. "Woah…aren't we in a deep mess. Not only has Heihachi decided to play the victor. We also know that Kazuya and that cultist guy are still alive. But the question is where they could be" the chef come up with his opinion on the matter.

"I can only assume that Kazuya and his allies have left Japan in search of a new hideout. The G Corporation have offices all across the globe, so there is no telling where specifically he has gone into hiding" Shaheen suggested, still unsure about whether to specifically find Kazuya.

Christie looked at Katarina, noticing the woman being in deep thought. Feeling concerned, Christie decided to see if she was doing okay. "Katarina. Is everything okay? You look a little tense" the young girl asked.

Katarina snapped out of her thoughts, facing Christie with a smug expression. "No reason to worry, Christie. It's just that I've been thinking about my father lately" she answered her in a polite manner, which was surprising given Katarina's brash attitude towards everyone else. "The more I think about it, I have come to a conclusion that my father…...was not in the Millennium Tower when it was destroyed" Katarina revealed.

Hearing this made Christie stare at her in wonder. "What? So you're saying that your father is still alive?" she asked her.

The Brazilian woman with the sunglasses nodded her head in reply. "Positivamente, amiga" she uttered out in Portuguese, thus confirming her optimism. Katarina even put a hand on Christie's left shoulder. "My father is still out there somewhere, and I will continue to search for him" she added.

Christie was happy on Katarina's behalf. "That sounds very inspiring, Katarina" the young girl admitted, impressed with her new friend's determination.

Eddy was listening to their conversation, and he himself was amused in hearing Katarina becoming friends with Christie. But at the same time, the Capoeira fighter had to admit that he had also slowly started to grow friendly towards her. True, they had met each other as enemies, but given how they both shared a common resentment towards Kazuya and the G Corp, a friendship between them had started to grow. But was Katarina having similar thoughts as Eddy's? That could be true, although he couldn't read the woman's mind.

"Alright. I guess we're all stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment. But that doesn't mean we need to stay here in Tokyo for much longer. I say we decide where we go next" Paul called out to his fellow fighters, the Judo fighter standing in the middle of the ring. Surprisingly, he smirked. "Luckily, I know where I will go next: the Shadow Coliseum in Kyoto!" he revealed what his next move was.

"The Shadow Coliseum?" Leo asked, having never heard of such place.

Even Marshall was getting puzzled. "Paul, just what the heck is the Shadow Coliseum? And what kind of place is it?" the chef/fighter asked Paul while scratching the back of his neck.

Paul turned around to face his best friend with a smug grin. "Oh nothing. Just an underground arena where the meanest and most badass fighters gather to test their strengths. I learned it after I beat a couple of Japanese punks in these streets. From what I know, the Shadow Coliseum has fighters from corners all across the world" he explained what the place was, not so much as hiding his excitement for it.

Katarina had to admit she was interested in this. "Fighters from every corner of the world, you say? Interessante" she spoke up.

But Christie didn't share her friend's opinion. "I don't know, Katarina. It sounds awfully like a cheap knockoff of the King of Iron Fist Tournaments…well…..except for it sounding very secretive, that is" the young girl told Katarina.

"Well, it would be nice to at least see what it is. I mean, it's not like we have anything else going on" Leo suggested, also feeling interested in seeing the Shadow Coliseum.

But Rodeo didn't seem interested, as did Zafina and Shaheen. The American soldier was the first to walk off the group, yet he did in fact left some words of advice to his fellow fighters.

"Sorry to sound mean or anything, but I gotta start searching for clues on Revenant's whereabouts. My superiors will soon call me and remind me of that mission. He's still out there somewhere. But who knows, perhaps we will be seeing each other soon. Until then, take care of yourselves, folks" Rodeo told them before he walked by himself.

Zafina wondered whether she and Shaheen should be accompanying Rodeo on this hunt, yet the Saudi Arabian man shook his head at her as a no. This made the Egyptian woman wonder why.

"As dangerous as Revenant is, he is not the one we should concern ourselves with at the moment. Heihachi and Kazuya are still using this conflict as a means to inflict suffering upon the world. Therefore, we will let Rodeo do the hunting. I trust that he will do it and see to that "thing" being brought to justice" Shaheen explained, smiling as he watched the American soldier disappear around the corner.

Zafina found herself doing the exact same thing. "Yes. I cannot dispute that man's will to find Revenant. He knows what he will be dealing with. Furthermore, Rodeo is more than likely to cause a few headaches for the cultists, thus denying them the opportunity to scheme in the shadows" the assassin admitted, realizing that she would have to trust Rodeo's judgement.

"So, you two are planning on attending the banquet tonight? Sounds interesting and all, but I would rather not deal with the Zaibatsu at the moment" Leo remarked, facing both Paul and Marshall with a smile. "Instead, perhaps I should tag along you guys and go find this Shadow Coliseum. Could be worth it" the German girl added.

While Paul felt impressed, Marshall was confused with what Leo was saying. "Wait. Since when did I say I wanted to come along with…" he was interrupted by Paul.

"Come on, Marshall. Given the circumstances we find ourselves in, we won't be able to return back to the US. Until we figure out a way, why don't we go and see whether the Shadow Coliseum will give us some entertainment? I bet those who enter the competitions will be rewarded handsomely" Paul tried to encourage his bet friend to go along with his idea.

In response, Marshall glanced at Paul with a flat expression. "Money? I've already paid Forrest's medical bills! And like I said, the dojo back home isn't worth fighting for anymore" the chef/fighter pointed out.

"Yeah, except that you paid with money stolen from the Triads, that is" Paul suddenly reminded him.

"Do we really need to go through this now, Paul? I don't have time for such crap!" Marshall slumped at Paul's attempt to bring up his flaws.

Those around the quarreling friends didn't know what to make of this, yet Eddy had already decided what he wanted to do now that he was out of the hospital. Both Christie and Katarina wondered what it could be.

"Hey, you two" Eddy sternly called out to Paul and Marshall, and they both looked at him with curious eyes. Eddy was as serious as he was known to be. "Since we're also stuck there, me, Christie and Katarina might as well come along with you to Kyoto. But we're not interested in this place you speak of" the Capoeira fighter told the duo.

Christie was slightly dismayed with seeing Eddy's attitude towards Paul and Marshall. "Eddy. Don't speak to them with that attitude! It's rude. You're better than this" the Brazilian girl scolded him.

Eddy shrugged his shoulders in return. "Whatever. These guys haven't earned my friendship, so I treat them whatever I want" he replied to Christie's words.

Paul narrowed his blue eyes at the Brazilian with the dreadlocks. "Hey, smartass! Watch your mouth, or I'll serve you a knucklesandwich down your throat!" the Judo fighter didn't like Eddy's attitude.

But Marshall quickly calmed him down. "Easy there, pal. He's just a moody douche. Don't let him get to you" he encouraged Paul, the Judo fighter soon letting go of his anger.

Katarina had to smile when she realized that she would join her friends in going to Kyoto. "So we're going to Kyoto? Sounds like fun! I'm in!" she sassily told Eddy while stroking her hair, although the Capoeira fighter didn't pay much heed to it.

"Then I should also come with you" Christie spoke up. But something inside of her felt different. "I don't know much long we must be in Japan, but really wanna go back to Brazil as soon as possible. Grandpa must be buried. But I'm willing to wait…...for Eddy's sake. I can't lose the only family I have" the young girl was thinking about her deceased grandfather. Even now, Christie still mourned him. But being with Eddy had somewhat eased that sorrow.

Marshall felt happy that more people wanted to come along with Paul. In fact, this only convinced him that staying at his best friend's side was perhaps the best move for now. The Chinese-American man faced Paul.

"Alright. If more people wanna come along with you, then I see no reason for why I shouldn't tag along. I'll join ya and see the Shadow Coliseum for myself" Marshall informed his best friend.

Paul was happy and he patted his best friend on his back. "Attaboy! That's the answer I was waitin' for you to say!" the Judo fighter exclaimed.

Shaheen and Zafina, realizing that the rest of the group wished to go to Kyoto, felt the need to get moving. "Shaheen. I think we should move soon. It would perhaps be wise if we fist gathered information regarding the upcoming banquet" Zafina informed him.

The man with the shemagh nodded at her, yet Shaheen felt the need to advise the others about the coming dangers. Despite that, he knew that they were more than capable of handling things on their own.

"It would appear that this is where we part ways, friends. It has been a pleasure to fight beside you. I have a feeling that there will be a time when we meet again. But until that time comes, stay alert from now on. This world's affair can be unpredictable. There is no telling what sort of shenanigans the Mishimas or Revenant will be up to, now that everyone has a hard time believing in what is true" Shaheen told the other fighters.

As he listened, Eddy was starting to grow slightly curious about Shaheen. "What is it what that guy? He almost speaks as if we were his students or something. Still, I admire his advice. It reminds me of the ones Master used to give me" the Capoeira fighter thought about his deceased mentor as he received Shaheen's advice.

When Shaheen was finished, Leo nodded her head at him in response. "Your concern is appreciated, but all of us have learned to be prepared for such. Don't forget, recent events have hardened us all. But for some, more than others" the German girl pointed out.

Zafina was amazed by the wisdom in Leo's words. "Wise words. I could not have said it better myself" the Egyptian woman commended Leo, who couldn't help but to feel slightly embarrassed.

Leo's words had also impressed Shaheen. "Very well. It is time for us to go now. Take care of yourselves, friends. And may Allah protect you. Ma'a salama" the Saudi Arabian man bid them farewell, and both he and Zafina went their own way, soon disappearing around the corner.

This left Paul and Marshall alone with Leo and the Brazilians. But still, there were some level of confusion among them. "So…how exactly do we get to Kyoto?" Marshall asked out of curiosity.

Paul snapped in embarrassment when he heard that question. "Aw crap! I almost forgot! My motorcycle's back in the US. But even if I had it here, it wouldn't be able to carry all of us" the Judo fighter pointed out.

Katarina and Christie couldn't help to laugh in what Paul was saying, yet Eddy was far from impressed. "How is that even relevant to bring up? Tch, still the same cocky idiot as he's always been" the Capoeira fighter noted in his thoughts.

"We could take the shinkansen" Leo came up with a suggestion to her friends. The German girl could see stares coming at her, to which she nodded her head. "Yes. By taking the shinkansen, we'll reach Kyoto in no time. Remember, these are highspeed trains, much faster than ordinary ones" she added.

"Hmmm, sounds like a good idea, kid. I say we go for the shinkansen" Eddy remarked.

Leo put her hands on her hips while facing Eddy with dispassion. "My name's Leo, not kid" she reminded him, yet Eddy didn't seem to care for what Leo felt. This didn't sit well with Leo. "Trottel…..." she insulted Eddy in her thoughts, not liking Eddy's attitude.

"Well, what are we waitin' for? If I recall correctly, then the station shouldn't be far from this location. I say head there quickly and see if we can catch the shinkansen that leaves Tokyo at this hour" Paul suggested to his friends.

They all seemed to agree with him. Without delay, the group headed to the nearest station, not wanting to be stuck in Tokyo any further. After all, surviving a near-death experience in the city could remind them of a terrible episode. However, none of them were interested in getting back at Heihachi for his scheming. Yes, sooner or later, the Mishima Patriarch would meet his end. That's what they each thought.

* * *

 _On the top of Mount Hiei, near Kyoto, Japan_

The sunshine had hit the sleeping face of Wang Jinrei, who had spent the night sleeping on the summit. But not only that, he also sought to find peace and serenity in the nature, given that staying too long in cities could exhaust him. Once the sunlight fell upon him, Wang's wrinkly eyes finally opened. A weak yet comfortable breeze could be felt in the air and the Chinese man appreciated it.

"Ah…...another lovely morning" Wang uttered out those words, soon getting up to his feet. It felt painful, yet the old man stubbornly pressed on. Getting older and frailer with each passing day was hard for someone like Wang Jinrei.

But Wang was not senile, as he still held memories, at least what happened the other day. Someone had approached him, the seductive and elusive vampire named Eliza. The old man got to the edge in hopes of seeing her. After all, Eliza had fallen from the edge sleeping. To Wang's surprise, Eliza was nowhere to be seen.

"Goodness, where could that lady have gone off to? Someone like her should not be wandering around by herself, especially since she is a sleepy one" Wang remarked, starting to look around his surrounding to see if Eliza could be found. So far, she was nowhere to be seen. "I assume that the poor dear has left Mount Hiei. She must be seeking a place to rest at" the elderly man came to a conclusion.

Feeling thirsty, Wang wandered off to find the nearest river he could drink from. To his knowledge, Mount Hiei was a famous place for hikers, both local denizens and foreign ones. But along the way, Wang surprisingly didn't stumble upon any hikers. It was odd, but at the same time, Wang like the solitary peace. It didn't take long before he could find a river to drink fresh water. Sitting down to his knees, the elderly man slowly dived his wrinkled hands into the water.

It was cold, yet Wang didn't seem to mind it one bit. All that mattered to him was that he got something to drink. Lifting his hands, Wang slowly moved his head towards the pool of fresh water that lied in his hands. Taking it at his own tempo, the Chinese man drank it patiently, wanting to savior every feeling of getting something refreshing down his aging throat.

But it wasn't just the water that was refreshing. It was the sound of nature itself. All around him, Wang could hear the birds sing high above him and the river continuing running through the forest. All these things made Wang feeling satisfied enough.

"Ah…...nature has a beauty that even I cannot fathom…...even by now, I have already found my inner peace" Wang remarked, the elderly martial artist continuing drinking from the pristine water.

But as he sat there, Wang could suddenly feel something in the air. It was the spirit of a person he knew very well. However, there were actually two spirits he could feel. Closing his eyes, the elderly man wanted to see this through. From the looks on his face, Wang was slightly dismayed. A frown was forming underneath his white beard, thus showcasing his frustration.

"Young Xiaoyu. I can see that you have come to Kyoto. But I cannot know where specifically you are. Regardless, I know why you have come" Wang spoke of his distant relative and student while letting out a deep sigh. "Honestly, has your love for Jin Kazama blinded you? A part of me still misses the old you, back when you were silly, yet still had enough wisdom to do the right things. But I assume that you changed throughout the years" he then began thinking about how his distant relative had changed since becoming very acquainted with Jin.

Sometimes, Wang wondered whether this could be due to the fact that he and Jinpachi Mishima, who was Jin's great-grandfather, were close to one another as well. But the elderly man brushed off such analogy. As far as he knew, Jinpachi was a different man than Jin, yet Wang couldn't deny how similar they were when it came to defeating all kinds of evil. But Jin was perhaps the one who sought to defeat it in the wrong manner.

But Wang's thought about Jin soon began to vanish, when he started feeling the other familiar spirit in the air. This time, however, the elderly man snapped out in surprise. This could only mean one thing: he was surprised by the appearance of someone he knew back in China.

"It cannot be…this presence I sense far away…is that you…Hu Yue?" Wang then started recalling the other girl that had trained under his wing alongside Xiaoyu. While he was surprised at first, the feeling slowly ebbed out of Wang's body. "My goodness…what in the world are you doing here in Japan?" he then wondered.

The elderly man slowly began recalling back to the days he trained both Xiaoyu and Yue. From what he could remember, both girls were inseparable friends under his tutelage. But that friendship was tested when Xiaoyu moved to Japan, as well as her being more interesting in chasing after Jin. Wang recalled how this had left Yue bitter towards Xiaoyu.

"Yue…...I know that you till this day remain bitter towards Xiaoyu for what she has done. But as foolhardy as her actions may have been, they are not the reason for your own misfortunes" Wang remembered the day when Yue had angrily stopped training at his dojo. It was due to the fact that she had been growing more impatient and reckless in her training. Wang had repeatedly attempted to make Yue change her ways, but it was fruitless. "You abandoned my teaching by your own accord, all for the sake of honing your skills in dishonorable acts. As much as it pains me to hear of what you have become, I still value you as a former student at my dojo, Yue" Wang added to his thinking.

After finished drinking enough water, the Chinese man got up on his feet, proceeding to walk through the forest near the top of Mount Hiei. While there was much at stake in this world, Wang felt like he would reach Violet Systems in his own tempo. He had to, being that he was getting frailer. But he would still do this, in honor of Kazumi.

"Fear not, dear Kazumi. I will not let you down. Be strong while you can" Wang thought about the woman he had spoken to through strange visions. How those times had happened, the elderly man didn't know. But in Wang's mind, they had been desperate calls for help. "Now then, I best make way to Kyoto. Lee Chaolan and Lei Wulong will be more than pleased with the wisdom that I wish to share with them

* * *

 _In an alley, Yamanouchi, Kyoto, Japan_

Having followed the two agents to downtown Kyoto, Steve was now standing in an alley in Yamanouchi. For some reason, these alleys seemed empty and uninviting. But the Boxer prodigy was not afraid. He, Master Raven and Raven all stood a few feet away from a closed door that was shut. Outside stood three members of the so-called Resistance guarding it vigilantly.

"So this is the entrance to the mysterious Shadow Coliseum, eh?" Steve remarked with what he was seeing.

Raven nodded his head as a yes. "According to rumors, it's definitely in this area" he spoke up.

"Rumors alone aren't credible sources, Raven. Don't forget that" Master Raven couldn't help but to berate her subordinate. But Raven didn't give much thought, ignoring the criticism. "Now then, it would be best if we enter this building. Obviously, the Shadow Coliseum must be underneath this warehouse. It's also there where we will find your friends" the black-skinned woman informed Steve.

Watching in how tough the men dressed in leather jackets looked, Steve couldn't help but to smirk. "Well, I say we just go and say hello those fellows. With our fists, of course" Steve suggested to her and both agents were in agreement.

As they approached the entrance, the man in the middle, who happened to be an American man, got very defensive. He held a baseball bat in his hands. "Hey! What do yuh tink you're doin' here!? Dis ain't your turf!" the man asked in a thick Brooklyn-accent.

His comrade, who happened to be an African-American guy stood beside him. "Yeah! Git da fuq outta here befoe we smoke yo asses!" he warned them.

Joining them was a Japanese woman, who seemed to act very punkish in terms of style. "You heard the boys. Leaving would be your best course of action" she advised the trio.

Neither Steve nor the agents were intimidated by their warnings. Master Raven even drew out her sword while Raven drew out his daggers. This was most likely an attempt to show how serious they were.

"It is you who should be leaving. So listen carefully what I say now, punks. Open this door, or face the consequences. The choice is yours" Master Raven sternly warned them

"I would've done what she said if I were any of you. Trust me, guys, you really don't wanna get physical with us. We just want to see the Shadow Coliseum. Just let us in and nobody gets hurt" Steve tried to make their foes see reason.

The Brooklyn guy and his African-American partner were taken aback by this. "Are yuh kiddin' me?! As if we would let chumps like yuh into de Shadow Coliseum!" the Brooklyn guy said.

"And how do you guys even know about it!? The Shadow Coliseum is top secret….." the Japanese girl snapped in shock, and then pointed a finger towards the trio before them. "Wait a second! You're with the Tekken Force, aren't you!?" she then exclaimed.

Her African-American comrade was stunned. "Tekken Force!? Ah, hell naw! I hate those bastards!" he expressed his opposition to the military wing of the Mishima Zaibatsu.

"You guys obviously have no idea where you're at. This is Resistance-hangout. And you'll be sorry for waltzing straight into us!" the Japanese girl told the trio of friends.

Raven was calm, despite growing tired with these peoples' shenanigans. "Perhaps letting us in this building would be the best course of action for you three. Don't make this harder for yourselves" the man with the sunglasses warned the trio.

"Man, shove dat threat up yo ass! We's ain't scared o' you!" the African-American man backed up his friend. Raven responded by glaring at him in return. Feeling offended, he decided to attack him. "Oh, I'm gonna put a hole in yo head, mothafocka!" he launched his attack upon Raven.

But the ninja was simply a match for him and the thug was knocked out with a kick in the air. Raven then used his skills to get himself above his opponent and then kick him onto the ground. The agent stood atop his stomach, forcing the thug to kiss the asphalt.

"Stay down, and don't get up" Raven sternly told his defeated opponent.

"Dayum, that hurt!" his foe cried, with the agent still holding him against the ground.

This caused his comrades to be shocked, with the Brooklyn guy feeling very resentful towards Raven. "You're gonna pay fawh dat, yuh son of a bitch!" he yelled and was ready to swing his baseball bat at any time. But something happened, as the bat had been cut off, much to the thug's shock and terror. "What de fuck!? What happened!?" he soon took notice of Master Raven and her sword.

She only smirked at him. "Your constant blabbering left yourself wide open. And it gave me the opportunity to dispose of your toy" Master Raven answered, only to deliver a powerful kick upon the thug, thus sending him crashing against the wall. "Just as I thought. All talk and no guts" the agent didn't hide her dissatisfaction with what she was seeing.

The Japanese girl was in complete shock over seeing her friends getting defeated. She was afraid that Steve would do something terrible to her, yet the blonde-haired man simply faced her with a gentle expression. He was showing no signs of antagonizing her.

"Don't be scared. I won't lay a hand on you. As we said, we only wish to see the Shadow Coliseum. But your friends' aggressiveness forced mine to deal with them. So I ask you this nicely, will you please let us in?" Steve kindly asked the Japanese girl.

Feeling powerless to resist, she reluctantly gave into his request. "Alright. You win. But just don't mention this to anyone else" she replied and ran away from the entrance as quick as she could. The Japanese girl eventually disappeared from the alley, leaving her comrades behind.

Steve stood before the blocked entrance, the two agents joining him, having taken out the two thugs. The entrance was blocked, and it looked similar to the ones used on shops when they were closed. Still, Steve felt optimistic, banging his gloved hands.

"Both of you better stand back and watch. I'll show you how my punches have increased in terms of strength" Steve told them and readied himself for a powerful punch.

The two agents watched intrigued as Steve gathered yellow electricity around his right arm. Both of them were anxious to see whether Steve could actually punch that blockage. They were rather more curious to know about whether Steve really was that strong or not.

"I know that ability. Having fought alongside Lars Alexandersson, it's obvious that Steve Fox has some connection with the Mishima clan. But in what way is he related to them?" Raven wondered as he observed Steve. "And unlike most Mishimas, Steve does not know Karate. He uses Boxing. Still, it looks like this ability can be used for whatever fighting styles" he added to his thoughts.

"Steve Fox was once a guinea pig used in a project that sough to create superpowered soldiers for the Tekken Force. From what I can read in those files about that, many test subjects died during the experiment. It's not surprising, given how they were injected with many types of drugs. But for some reason, Steve Fox managed to last longest of these test subjects. He is also among the few survivors" Master Raven thought, recalling about what she had learned about the program. While she had yet to fully uncover clues about Steve's time in the program, Master Raven knew about the fact that Steve had once been considered a valuable asset to the researches.

When Steve felt that his power was fully charged, the British man proceeded to land his punch on the blockage with all his might. It didn't take long before it completely flew off the opening thanks to the immense pressure the punch was giving it. The agents were stunned at such level of strength in a boxer such as Steve.

Once the way was clear, the British man looked over his shoulder to face the agents. "Alright then. Shall we go inside?" Steve asked them.

"Without delay" Master Raven spoke up, thus entering the building alongside Raven and Steve. Now, they would work to find the whereabouts Steve's friends. "While resistance will be met along the way, our objective is not to fight the entire Resistance. We have only come here to rescue your friends" she sternly reminded Steve, although Raven was listening to this as well.

Steve smirked in return. "Copy that. And trust me, I won't be picking fights unwisely" the British boxer assured the agent.

Master Raven ignored his attempt to charm her and focused on the mission ahead. "We better hope so" she muttered lowly.

* * *

 _In an arena surrounded by fences, underneath Kyoto_

In a hall deep underground, the lights were turned on and throngs of people began shouting praises. While it resembled the interior of a stadium, it was much different, almost like an arena in the sewer. Still, it was crowded, as people began chanting cheers for something they were looking forward to.

Standing in the middle of a caged arena was none other than Hwoarang. The man with the eyepatch looked around to see how he was trapped, and that there was no way out. But he didn't seem to care. He was excited by the fact he was in a place he had always wanted to be in. Hwoarang found himself grinning smugly.

"So, this is the Shadow Coliseum? Awesome! It's as cool as the rumors said it was. I bet all these punks are keen for some entertainment" Hwoarang remarked, stretching out his arms as if he was receiving the praises.

People kept chanting, yet they were all itching for a real fight. On what appeared to be a tribunal, several people were seen standing there. These people were the so-called "leaders" of the Resistance. They were Taiga Miyagi, Hu Yue, Rumi Kusakabe and Isaak Lichtenfeld. Somehow, they along with many other disillusioned people of the world had formed the Resistance as a means to oppose the Mishima Zaibatsu and their machinations. However, people who knew about it would often dismiss the Resistance as nothing but a movement of anarchists, who antagonized everyone that was not like them, even international bodies such as the UN.

Isaak grabbed what appeared to be a microphone, and he was about to announce what was about to take place in the arena. He could tell that people were anxious for something to happen.

"HELLO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WELCOME TO ANOTHER SEASON OF THE SHADOW COLISEUM! ARE YOU READY FOR A GIANT DOSE OF PAINFUL ENTERTAINMENT!?" the Israeli man asked loudly, and the spectators cheered loudly in agreement. The noise only confirmed their enthusiasm and Isaak seemed to like it. "GOOD! BRAVO! UP WITH THE EXCITEMENT! I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT ANY BETTER MYSELF!" Isaak continued with this showman performance.

Hwoarang had taken notice of the leaders of the Resistance, and he was wondering what they were doing up there. "I don't believe it. Are those guys supposed to be commentators or something? Tch, what a huge pain in my ass" the Korean man felt annoyed with what he was hearing.

"TODAY, WE HAVE MANAGED TO GET OURSELVES ONE LUCKY VOLUNTEER! BELIEVE IT OR NOT, HE REALLY THINKS HE CAN STAND UP TO EVERY FIGHTER WE HAVE! HOW DO YOU RESPOND!?" Isaak then asked everyone, to which they booed and jeered at Hwoarang. Isaak smirked. "WONDERFUL ANSWER! JUST THE ONE I WAS HOPING FOR!" he continued.

"God, that guy really likes to hear his voice, doesn't he?" Hwoarang was growing irritated by the Israeli man's antics.

But the Korean man soon turned his attention to one of the doors being opened. Two people came inside, and they were looking to beat someone up. Apparently, Hwoarang was their target, something he himself soon realized.

"TO SHOW HOW HE'S WRONG, WHY DON'T WE TEST HIS BIG MOUTH!? LET US SEE WHETHER THIS GUY'S A GOOD FIGHTER OR JUST AN IGNORANT DUMBASS WHO WILL LOSE!" Isaak spoke up, much to the cheering of the spectators.

The two men dressed in tank tops looked like common thugs and they were already charging towards Hwoarang. But not surprisingly, the Korean man decided to get tough and began demonstrating his fighting abilities. With a couple of dodges and kicks to their faces, Hwoarang's opponents lied on the ground defeated. Their faces were bleeding. Even so, Hwoarang felt bored.

"Tch, you guys aren't even a warmup!" Hwoarang complained before glancing up to the leaders. "Hey! Is that the best you've got!? I was told that the Shadow Coliseum had badass fighters who wouldn't take crap!" he called out to them.

Rumi had to chuckle in amusement. "Wow, he's not the only one who thinks some of our men are too tame to be gladiators. What do you think, Isaak?" the Japanese biker noted while asking her comrade.

Isaak snorted in return. "Tch, kiss my ass. The fun hasn't even started yet!" he pointed out before holding the mic into his mouth. "WELL THEN FOLKS, LET'S SEE HOW THIS FOOL STAND UP AGAINST PEOPLE WITH WEAPONS! WILL HE SUCCEED!? LET'S FIND OUT!" Isaak spoke up.

This time, people with weapons such as baseball bats, brass knuckles and knives came into the ring. But instead of protesting, Hwoarang was only fired up by this challenge. He could tell that these guys meant business. It only encouraged him not to hold back.

"Now we're talking! I was hoping for some real gladiators! Come at me at once, ya thuggish pea brains!" the Taekwondo fighter dared his opponent, challenging them with everything he had.

The thugs knew better than to keep their opponent waiting, so they launched at him with the barbarity they were seen carrying. Some of them were knocked out cold by Hwoarang, yet others were very persistent with him. But that didn't matter for the young man, as he was having fun.

The leaders were stunned by Hwoarang's abilities, even the usually stern Taiga. But Isaak was filled with rage, as he couldn't believe in how someone like Hwoarang was doing good.

"Hmm, for being such a boastful idiot, he sure has talents with this fighting abilities. I will give him points for that" Yue commented.

"I agree. And from what I have heard, this man claims himself to be Jin Kazama's rival" Taiga spoke up, admitting that he knew something about Hwoarang, given that Jin had mentioned him once when they trained together in Brisbane. "But I have a hard time believing the story of how Jin and that Taekwondo fighter fought each other to a draw. After all, Jin is in a different league" the Japanese man admitted, recalling the friendship he had made with Jin.

Isaak grunted in hearing this explanation. "As if anyone would believe such a crappy story! I mean, look at that punk! He's such a loudmouth!" the Israeli man was not hiding his distaste for Hwoarang.

Yue couldn't help but to form a cunning smirk on her face. "But aren't you and him similar, Isaak? I mean, from what I can tell, you two share the same boastful arrogance" the Chinese girl pointed out to him.

"Bullshit! Compared to him, I'm way more calmer and patient. That I can assure you" he replied.

"Wow, that sounds like wishful thinking" Rumi remarked.

Isaak was about to open his mouth, yet Taiga interrupted him. "That is enough quarreling for now. I don't know what you are planning on having this man in the Shadow Coliseum, but we can't waste time with him. The Resistance is up against many challenges now that the Mishima Zaibatsu has been declared victors" the Japanese man informed them.

Rumi rolled her eyes. "You still worry about them coming for us? You're starting to sound slightly paranoid, Taiga" the Japanese biker told her.

Taiga faced his comrade with disapproving eyes. "You must never underestimate your foes, Rumi. Naivety can often be used to their advantage" he pointed out to her.

"Tch, whatever" Rumi flatly responded.

But while there was so much going on in the Shadow Coliseum, something had taken place in the labyrinthine corridors around. In one of the many rooms, there were several people who were held prisoners. They were Michelle Chang, Ganryu, Sebastian and Bob. They were what consisted of the group that had been captured by the Resistance and held in these cells. So far, they were unsure of what to happen, let alone where they were. None of the leaders had come in to check on them.

"I can't believe this. We only wish to go see Lee Chaolan, only to be captured by some deranged anarchists. And to think they managed to beat us with smoke grenades" Michelle lamented, the middle-aged woman feeling slightly embarrassed of this situation.

Sebastian was surprisingly calm and optimistic in this situation. "Have no fear, Madame Michelle Chang. Although this may be an unfortunate turn of events, I am hopeful that we somewhat will be able to get out of this horrible place" the butler politely tried to raise hope.

"Well, that depends on what opportunities we have" Bob spoke up, struggling to find a solution to their problems.

Ganryu looked out of his cell, and saw no one. But even as he and the others knew they were alone, the Sumo wrestler could hear something coming from the wall on the other side of the room. It caught the Japanese man's attention.

"Do you hear that? It sounds as if something is punching on the wall across us" Ganryu explained.

His friends walked up to their cells and couldn't help but to notice the same things the Sumo wrestler did. It was true, someone was indeed punching the wall before them. They could even notice a few cracks appearing.

"What in the world is going on here!? Is this an earthquake!?" Michelle was starting to feel worried.

"I don't think that's the case" Bob spoke up while observing how the rest of the room they were in was unaffected by this.

Soon, it the entire wall collapsed and it caught the prisoners by surprise. As soon as the dust settled, Michelle and the others were surprised and relieved to see Julia, Asuka, Lili and Xiaoyu entering the room from the destroyed wall.

"Julia! You're here!" Michelle was relieved in seeing her adoptive daughter standing there.

The four-eyed girl was brushing off dust on the sleeve of her jackets and soon began cleaning her glasses. "Woah! Mom! And the rest of you guys! You were here all the time?" Julia was in disbelief.

"Sebastian! How I'm glad to finally see you!" Lili exclaimed in seeing her butler. "Those mean people didn't injure you, did they" she asked while feeling slightly concerned for Sebastian's wellbeing.

"Oh no, Madame Lili. I am completely fine. No reason to worry about me. I should be the one worrying about you" Sebastian spoke up, before noticing the broken wall. "Say, madame. Were you and your friends held in that room?" the butler asked while pointing a finger.

Asuka was more than happy to answer. "Oh, you bet! But luckily for us, that wall was very weak, so we punched with every strength we had. It wasn't that much of a big deal of course" the Japanese brunette answered.

"Hwoarang wanted to go and see this Shadow Coliseum, so the leaders released him. He's probably there as we speak" Xiaoyu spoke up, telling them where Hwoarang was. Xiaoyu looked around the room. "But then again, we've no idea where specifically we are, nor do we know how to get out of here" the Chinese girl remarked, feeling slightly confused.

"Maybe if you would be so kind as to free us, we could help escape this place together" Ganryu suggested to them.

"Sorry, but we don't have the keys to these cells. One of the Resistance's leaders have them. And she is probably out in the Shadow Coliseum" Julia told him

"So does that mean you guys didn't steal any keys to get out of your cells?" Bob asked them to which Julia nodded her head as a yes. "Damnit! Then how do we get out?" the blonde-haired man wondered as he held onto the bars.

Asuka moves close so that she got to see the walls in those cells. From what she could tell, they were also weak and on the verge of collapsing. This made her get an idea.

"You know, there is perhaps a way to get out of these cells. But it requires your strengths. You see the walls in your cells?" Asuka told them.

Michelle looked at her wall and the others did the same with theirs. They noticed the crack, thus exposing their vulnerability. The Native American woman had to smile. "Yeah, I see it. These walls don't seem to be holding up for much longer" she said what she observed.

"Hmmm, indeed. Perhaps a few kicks or punches should be able to break it. But this time, we will have to give everything we have" Sebastian remarked, even a butler like him preparing to kick down this wall.

Lili giggled in amusement. "Excellent, Sebastian. I'm glad to see that you are able to use whatever means necessary. I take it watching my fights have taught you something" the rich girl told him.

Sebastian felt flattered by that comment, yet he didn't choose to respond. Instead, he would take it to heart. It always pleased him when his young mistress was happy.

"So you suggest that this wall can be damaged?" Ganryu asked the girls as he looked at the wall in his cell. "Well, if scrawny girls like you could break a wall, then someone at my caliber can do that easily" the Sumo wrestler boasted wit pride.

But the girls did not take kindly to Ganryu's words, especially Asuka and Xiaoyu. "Just so you know, I'm not scrawny! Get that through your thick skull!" Asuka berated him.

"Yeah! And since we destroyed that well, there's no way we can be scrawny!" Xiaoyu joined in.

But both girls snapped as they realized that they were now agreeing on something. Asuka and Xiaoyu glanced at each other for a brief moment before looking the opposite direction. From what their friends could tell, neither of the girls wanted to admit that they were starting to grow closer to one another as friends.

Lili was especially taking pleasure in this. "Oh, it looks like former rivals are starting to become good friends" the blondie said in a teasing manner.

"SHUT UP!" both Asuka and Xiaoyu snapped at her in unison, each feeling a little embarrassed.

Julia facepalmed in seeing this. "What I get for teaming up with weirdos" the brunette silently lamented, only to get serious while facing her mother and the other prisoners. "But anyway, you guys know what to do. Gather your strengths and punch the walls as hard as you possibly can. But be ready for what comes next" Julia told them.

Michelle had already begun her preparations and was ready to punch the wall at any time. "I'm ready! What about you guys?" she asked her friends.

"Prêt!" Sebastian humbly replied in French.

"Waiting on the rest of you. But I don't think that's necessary to say…or should I've said something else….." Bob responded, feeling a little confused on what to say.

Ganryu clapped his hands, facing the wall with a determined expression. His robust eyebrows narrowed. "I will show you that no mere wall can keep a Yokozuna trapped forever! I shall demonstrate my strength!" the Sumo wrestler exclaimed, ready to use his handpalms to bring down that wall.

The girls watched as the prisoners would take their time to gather enough strength to unleash their attacks upon the wall. With each attack they gave, the wall started to crack more. That alone only convinced them that freedom was waiting for them on the other side. Still, they would have to find a way to get out of this place. That would be hard. Not wanting to be stuck in these cells any longer, the prisoners unleashed a new round of powerful attacks. This time, however, the walls actually fell apart. This was most likely in the case with Bob and Ganryu.

But given that both men had pushed their attacks to far, they accidently fell through the opening. But where specifically had they entered? Both Bob and Ganryu fell a few heights down from their spot and landed upon several people sitting on a tribunal. And then the two round men continued rolling down the tribunal, eventually pushing away other people that were sitting in their way. It would appear that Bob and Ganryu had fell into one of the many tribunals in the Shadow Coliseum. All the people present were caught off-guard by their sudden appearance.

When they were at the lowest, Bob and Ganryu both had stars swirling around their heads. But at the same time, they had rolled over lots of people.

"Ouch…..that hurt like hell!" Bob winced as he almost felt a bump in the back of his head.

Ganryu rubbed his tailbone. "It feels as if my buttocks have broken. But at the very least I still feel alive" the Sumo wrestler uttered out.

People around them were shocked at this, not expecting to see two people rolling over people on the tribunals. But they weren't the only ones who had taken notice of their arrival. The leaders of the Resistance were stunned to see that a part of the wall above one of the tribunals had broken.

"What the hell just happened?" Rumi asked out in anger.

"And where did those two fatasses come from!?" Isaak was also in disbelief.

Yue became cautious. "Correct me if I'm mistaking, but weren't those two with Xiaoyu and her friends? They were all behind bars as far as I recall" the Chinese girl spoke up, yet she soon found herself snap in shock. "Wait! The hole they came from, it leads to one of the prison rooms! But how did they escape? Did they actually break the wall to free themselves!?" she was in disbelief.

Taiga rose up and narrowed his eyes, seeing as both Michelle and Sebastian got out from the long hole as well. "That seems to be the only answer, Yue. Hard to believe it, but they actually did that. All of them. I commend them for accomplishing such" the Japanese man remarked in slight amazement.

Rumi rose up and reached out for her keys. She could see that she was in possession of them. "But hold on! I have all the keys to the cells! And what about the other prisoners…." she snapped when she just realized something. "Don't tell me…are those girls also…" Rumi was interrupted when she could hear a voice coming from the left.

"Hey there, Rudy!" the taunting voice come from none other than Asuka, as she, Xiaoyu, Lili and Julia were standing by an entrance not far from where the leaders stood. Asuka waved at the Japanese biker with a teasing grin. "Sorry, but we didn't need your help in freeing us!" she then added some insults.

Rumi was furious with what she was seeing. "Don't call me, Rudy! It's Ruby! And my name is from now on Rumi Kusakabe! Get it right!" the biker roared at her.

Asuka only stood there with a smirk on her face. "Whatever. You're still as lame as you've always been!" she then told her.

The leaders of the Resistance got up from their seats and faced the girls. The girls were eventually joined by Michelle and the others, who had used this confusion to their advantage to regroup with them. The Native American woman hugged her adoptive daughter and she happily returned it. Sebastian got over to Lili and tried to see if she was not injured.

Bob stepped forward, accompanied by Julia and Xiaoyu. "Listen, I don't know what your deal is. But we will not be held as prisoners to the likes of you!" Bob told the group of leaders, even though he and his friends were surrounded by members of the Resistance.

"You all have misunderstood our motives! Like you, we wish to seek an end to this war! But then again, I guess none of you are willing to listen to reason anymore!" Xiaoyu joined in on berating them.

Yue's eyes narrowed at Xiaoyu. "And just what makes you think that we will heed words from the likes of you!? Someone who keeps chasing Jin Kazama doesn't deserve to be heard!" the Chinese girl berated Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu herself was feeling angered by what her former childhood friend was saying. "Yue…" she thought, not being able to say words to the girl she had trained alongside with once.

"All of you guys are being driven by delusions! You consider everyone who is not with you an enemy, even those who are against this war, as well as the Mishima Zaibatsu. It's no wonder why this Resistance is failing miserably if you keep antagonizing those who are not affiliated with any kind of group!" Julia spoke up, not hiding her distaste for what the Resistance was.

Isaak couldn't stand being spoken to like this. "You shut your trap, four-eyes! If you think all this hippie nonsense will sway us, then you're damn wrong!" he berated her.

Still, Julia was far from intimidated. "Someone should teach you how to respect ladies!" she told him.

Before Isaak could retort, Taiga intervened and stood before his comrade. "We will never give up our struggle against the oppressors. The international community is the one who enabled the Zaibatsu and the G Corp to use this world as a playground! As such, we can never forgive them! And as for you, none of you will be leaving this place alive. You will only end up reporting our activities to the higherups of the Zaibatsu" Taiga sternly told the former prisoners.

"Oh, is that so?" everyone snapped by hearing a familiar voice coming from the left. Asuka, Xiaoyu and the others turned around and smiled with what they were seeing. The one who came from the tunnel was none other than Steve Fox and the two agents Master Raven and Raven. He only shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, but I couldn't help but to overhear some poor lad rant about everything wrong with this world. Can't say I'm amused" the blonde-haired man spoke up.

"STEVE!" all his friends were surprised, yet happy to see the British man standing there along with the agents.

Steve nodded his head at them. "Sorry if I'm late, guys. But I was struggling to find wherever this Shadow Coliseum. Luckily, these two agents were more than happy to help me navigate" he told them while pointing out Master Raven and Raven.

Master Raven was slightly surprised. "It would seem to me that your friends managed to free themselves just fine, Steve Fox" the black-skinned woman noted before turning her attention to the leaders of the Resistance.

"Who in the hell are these chumps!?" Isaak angrily demanded.

"It does not matter. Anyone who enters our hangout uninvited…...will be dealt with swiftly" Taiga told him and faced the new intruders. He made sure that every member gathered in the hell was listening "I believe that the time to start the true program for the Shadow Coliseum…..is already upon us!" he loudly declared.

Meanwhile, Hwoarang, who had been busy taking care of his opponents, had overheard the events taking place upstairs. He knew that his friends had somewhat managed to free themselves.

"So they're all free now, eh? Good. I smell an intense brawl in this coming up soon. I better go up and join with the rest of the guys before the fun starts" the Korean man pointed out with a smirk on his face.

 _To be continued…_


	28. The Underground Carnage

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: The Underground Carnage**

 _Somewhere beneath Yamanouchi, Kyoto, Japan_

Things were about to get ugly in this mysterious place called the Shadow Coliseum. It was a hangout for the international movement calling itself the Resistance. These people had completely lost faith in the international community and had vowed to wage their won battle against the Mishima Zaibatsu. As admirable their cause was, it wasn't without flaws. Particularly since they had captured several people who had once entered the King of Iron Fist Tournaments.

Hwoarang, who knew that his friends somehow managed to free themselves, decided to exit the arena and head up to the tribunals. On his way out of the cage, the Korean man could spot a thug charging towards him from behind wearing brass knuckles. He only sighed in annoyance in seeing this.

"You just don't get it, do ya pal?" Hwoarang spoke before proceeding to kick his attacker up in the air. He didn't even turn around, letting his heels to the trick. It didn't take long before the thug laid on the ground unconscious. "You're not worth my time! Get it through your thick skull!" Hwoarang berated his defeated opponent before proceeding to exit the arena.

Back on the tribunals, the escaped prisoners had been joined the surprising arrival of Master Raven and Raven, not to mention Steve. They were already having their hands full with being surrounded by members of the Resistance. Still, Steve and the agents got over to Julia and the others, hoping to join them in the upcoming brawl that was about to take place.

"So, you have all managed to escape captivity?" Steve asked Asuka.

The Japanese girl put her hands on her hips. "Do you really need to ask this now? We're trying to find a way out of this hellhole!" she reprimanded him.

Steve brushed off her outburst. "Good point there, Asuka. Sorry I asked" he told her before focusing his attention on what was most important.

Julia suddenly got an idea. "Hold up. Do you three know where the exit to this labyrinth is? Maybe you could lead us out of here" the four-eyed girl asked Steve and the two agents.

"It won't be necessary to go to that way" Master Raven sternly told her, much to the surprise of Julia and her friends. "I understand that you wish to see Lee Chaolan, is that correct?" she then asked them.

Michelle's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait! How on the earth did you….." she was calmed down by Steve.

"Easy there, love. I told these two everything. In fact, these agents have been staying at his place since arriving here in Japan. Asuka can attest to that" Steve assured Michelle, although he made sure others were listening to this as well. But Steve soon paid attention to the leaders of the Resistance standing not far from them. "Speaking of which, who are these guys?" the British man asked his friends.

"They are the supposed "leaders" of the Resistance" Bob answered, readying his fighting stance. "And from the looks of it, they along with their followers don't seem like the friendly bunch" the round man pointed out to his friends.

"Well, I say we do what we need to do and get out of this messy place!" Lili suggested as she faced the leaders of the Resistance. "If they refuse to let us go, then we might as well try beating them" the rich girl then noted smugly, feeling more than willing to fight one of these people.

Taiga and his comrades got off the balcony and approached their enemies, each of them determined to battle one of them. The Japanese man with the ponytail narrowed his eyes in what he was seeing. He felt like fighting either Julia, Steve or the agents. But he was surprised when Hwoarang suddenly charged towards him.

"Hah! Your gladiators were nothing but a bunch of lame-asses! So I'll fight you instead, Mr. Karate Kid. Prepare yourself!" the Korean man exclaimed as he was about to deliver a kick. But Hwoarang's kick was blocked by Isaak, the Israeli man using his techniques to try and break his right foot. Luckily, Hwoarang managed to free himself from Isaak's grip. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Hwoarang realized that Isaak was now standing in his way. "You again? Look, I'm not interested in you! So move aside and let me at that guy!" the Korean man demanded.

Isaak grunted in reply. "You think you're worthy to fight Taiga? Only in your dreams, punk! From my standpoint, you're not even capable of besting me!" the blonde-haired man taunted the Taekwondo fighter.

This only made Hwoarang angry on the inside. It only encouraged him to go all out on Isaak. "Still underestimating me, huh? Well, I'm gonna make you eat those words!" he cried as he tried to kick Isaak, only to countered those moves with attacks of his own. This made Hwoarang slightly impressed. "So this is what Krav Maga is? Come on then, Mr. Ex-soldier! Surprise me!" he felt like he wanted his opponent to do more.

"Tch, whatever you say, jackass! Just remember: you asked for this!" Isaak hit back, deciding to give what Hwoarang wished. "I best deal with this guy before he ends up embarrassing himself. That oughta teach him some manners" the Israeli man thought as he continued clashing fists with Hwoarang.

Meanwhile, Asuka and Xiaoyu were up against Rumi and Yue. From the looks of it, the two newfound rivals would have to work together to face their common foes, even though each of them hated to admit it.

"It looks like there's no other way but through those girls. Are you willing to assist me? We may not agree on everything, but we both know what we must do to ensure our freedom" Xiaoyu told Asuka, wanting to make sure that she could at least have some faith in the Japanese brunette.

Asuka had to smile in a smug manner in hearing Xiaoyu's suggestion. "Now, that's rich. And here I fought you were nothing but a clueless dumbass" she told him, only to be given a death glare by the Chinese girl. Asuka shrugged her shoulders at seeing this. "Don't get so hissy, I heard what you suggested. And honestly, I'll have to agree with you on that. So let's take care of these two, shall we? I bet there is a lot more stuff we can argue about afterwards. But first, we need to get out of here" Asuka then suggested to Xiaoyu while facing their opponents.

Xiaoyu had to smile before readying her fighting stance. "Then you'll handle the biker. Yue's all mine!" she declared, much to the irritation of Asuka.

Neither Rumi nor Yue were impressed with seeing their former friends challenging them. "I swear, this is all pointless. You girls are at a great disadvantage here!" Rumi spoke up, yet she couldn't help but to feel the urge to crack Asuka's bones. "But then again, it feels incredibly tempting to crack your bones for what you did to my bike! And when I'm finished, I'm gonna trash your cycle and send it to the scrapyard!" the Japanese biker declared while cracking her gloved knuckles.

Hearing this made Asuka furious. "As if that's ever gonna happen! Not on my watch, Rudy!" the Japanese girl once again misspelled Rumi's bosozuku name, much to her fury.

"Oh, you're so dead!" Rumi hit back as she charged towards Asuka, the young Kazama only responding in kind. A serious catfight was commencing between those two. "When I'm finished with you, you'll end up in Osaka's hospital, just like your dad was!" the biker girl told Asuka, using her Judo tricks to try and land a few punches on her.

Hearing this really set Asuka's mind off. She responded by getting more aggressive in the fight against Rumi. "Now you're asking for it! Prepare to feel pain!" the Japanese brunette exclaimed in fury while proceeding to kick the biker, to which she blocked.

The same thing happened between Xiaoyu and Yue. But as they clashed, Xiaoyu felt this felling in her gut telling her how wrong it was to fight a friend. But she tried her best to ignore it. From the looks of it, Yue was not gonna hold back against her.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you just because we trained at the same dojo!" Yue rebuked her childhood friend while readying her fighting stance. "After all the stupidity you have caused, a proper beating is what I think you deserve most!" she told Xiaoyu, feeling more than willing to harm her.

Xiaoyu responded by furiously charging at Yue. "You don't know anything about me, Yue! That's why you're in no position to judge me!" the Chinese girl retorted back.

Still, Yue was unfazed at her defiance. "Keep it that way then, Xiaoyu! You always were selfish and sanctimonious!" she told Xiaoyu, only to dodge a few attacks from her opponent.

Meanwhile, Taiga was being challenged by Steve. It caused the Japanese man to stop and observe how Steve made preparations for combat. The British boxer would not back down without a fight, even as he could see how serious Taiga was as she demonstrated some of his skills.

"Don't think for a second that just because I do Boxing and never kick, I'm useless! I'll make you realize not to take me for granted!" Steve said, banging his gloved hands while facing his opponent.

As he watched Steve challenge him, Taiga couldn't help but to notice something familiar with Steve's arms, let alone his entire body. The Karate fighter could feel electricity build within Steve, which immediately reminded him of someone he knew.

"I don't believe it. How is this man capable of doing something like that? He does not now Karate…however, that matters not. Obviously, he must have relation to the Mishimas somehow. But how?" Taiga wondered, remember the times he used to spar with Jin during his stay in Brisbane.

Steve smiled smugly, daring Taiga to come at him with everything he had. "What's the matter? Are you gonna come at me or is that Karate gi you wear just for show?" he taunted him.

Taiga narrowed his eyes in response to those taunts. "Resorting to insults, I see. How inconvenient. You need more than that to anger me" the man with the ponytail said and stood in his fighting stance. "Now as for your challenge. While you do not seem like an average boxer, your have false confidence by hoping you can win this fight" the Japanese man added.

In response, Steve decided to make the first move, realizing how pointless it was to waste time with words. "Then I guess I'll have to prove you wrong! Prepare to get punched in the gut, self-righteous wanker!" Steve exclaimed, determined to actually fight against Taiga. While he didn't know how strong he was, Steve was confident that he could fight on par with him, despite Boxing not allowing kicks.

Taiga narrowed his eyes as he clashed with Steve. "Very well. Then show me what you can do!" the Japanese man spoke up, preparing a powerful punch for Steve to feel.

It didn't take long before the rest of the fighters were drawn into this brawl in the underground. Ganryu and Bob were impressing their foes by defeating them. It was stunning, considering how the thugs had expected the two round men to be the weakest fighters in the group. Ganryu in particular, was satisfied in seeing how some of his foes fled after getting sent flying by one of Ganryu's attacks.

"Now I will show you the error of underestimating a Yokozuna!" Ganryu called out while daring more foes to come at him.

Even Raven and Master Raven were perfectly handling enemies on their own, despite the Resistance coming at them in packs. But Raven felt irritated as he managed to best some of these thugs.

"Do we really have to hold back while dealing with these misfits? Doing it the other way makes defeating them easier" Raven asked his superior.

For some reason, Master Raven didn't take kindly to those words. "These people are still civilians, Raven. Compared to soldiers, they lack unity and strategy. This makes it only easier for us to defeat them" she reminded her subordinate.

Surprisingly, Raven didn't open his mouth to argue. He chose to simply accept his superior's words. To be blunt, there was something that he agreed with Master Raven in those words of hers.

Things were starting to get messier as punches were thrown and blood were spilled. How long this fight would last, no one really knew.

* * *

 _In a telephone booth near Igoryo Park, Kyoto, Japan_

Having decided to take a break from his search on the Mishima clan's secrets, Detective Lei Wulong from the Hong Kong Police had decided to spend his day exploring Kyoto. While he had been to Japan many times before, Lei had never got to know Kyoto and how it was. However, there were other reasons for why Lei had decided to do this.

Recent events had made Lei suspicious of the Mishima Zaibatsu and it's supposed victory over the G Corporation. Still, Lei didn't believe for a second that Kazuya Mishima and his associates were gone. The Chinese man had gone into Igoryo Park, in hopes of contacting his authorities.

Right now, he was speaking to his superiors inside a telephone booth. He made sure that nobody was eavesdropping on him or something. So far, he hadn't detected any sign of such. Therefore, he continued to communicate with his superiors.

" _So, it's true then? The attack was the work of the Mishima Zaibatsu, more specifically Heihachi Mishima?_ " Lei's superior asked through the phone.

"Yeah. I've learned everything, chief. From what we saw through the satellites owned by Violet Systems, the Zaibatsu is in possession of a satellite death ray that floats above the Earth. Its equipped with a laser cannon that is capable of reducing an entire skyscraper to dust. This was how Heihachi managed to destroy the Millennium Tower" Lei explained to his superior with what he had witnessed so far.

" _Well, that would explain a lot, not to mention how this attack happened out of the blue. But no matter how Heihachi managed to pull this through, he and his Zaibatsu are now being celebrated across the globe as this war's victors and heroes. Because of the G Corporation currently being the villains as a result of the revelations of his son, both Interpol and the United Nations have been forced to put on a receiving attitude towards that old bastard_ " the superior went on to explain on the situation around the world. " _Speaking of which, how is your case on the Mishima clan's secret going so far? I trust that you and those two agents from the UN's intelligence bureau have managed to find at least some clues with regards to them_ " he then asked Lei.

"We're doing good so far. And trust me, the agents have been of good help to me. The same can be said for Lee Chaolan and Lars Alexandersson. However, there are several important clues that remains to be uncovered. You see, we're suspecting that this curse of the Mishima-bloodline never began with Heihachi, let alone his father Jinpachi" Lei answered what he had done so far in this search of his. But he knew that his superiors would like to know more. "Yes, me and the agent suspect that the woman Heihachi was married to, Kazumi Hachijo, could have some involvement in it. But sadly, we have no clues that directly binds her to that case. We have had luck with getting some insight from an old man who once worked for the Hachijo clan, but it's not enough. There has to be more and sufficient clues" the detective continued with his analysis.

" _I see. But even as you're in a standstill situation, you and the agents have done a terrific job from what I can tell. Trust me, Lei, you probably will discover the truth about that damned family sooner or later. But enough of that, I want you to continue to be with this Lee Chaolan and his allies. They could potentially be those important allies against the Zaibatsu that we have long desired. You know how important that is, don't you?_ " Lei's superior explained.

"Yessir. I will do what I can to ensure that the case is ongoing. Just let me know when there is something else that needs to be addressed with regards to this mess. I'll speak to you soon, chief" Lei told the man in the phone.

His superior only chuckled in return. " _Glad to hear it, boy. Keep up the good work and don't lose sight of what's important. Later, and good luck to you, Detective Lei Wulong_ " those were the last words before he hung up.

Putting the phone back, Lei sighed deeply as he started to think about the case he was currently working on. While he had made some progress, Lei felt that he was standing before a roadblock when it came to finding more clues about the link between Kazumi and the Mishima-bloodline's curse. The detective hoped that Wang Jinrei would have some insight to share with him. After all, Wang was probably the only one outside the Mishimas who knew Kazumi as a person. But did he still possess memories of her? That would be something Lei would have to figure out later.

Exiting the telephone booth, Lei made way to the park, watching as there were abandoned excavators, trucks and cranes. From the looks of it, the park was under construction. Was the neighborhood trying to get rid of the park or improve it? Regardless, Lei paid no heed as he continued to walk on the street. As he walked, the Chinese couldn't help but to feel tired.

"Ah geez. I could really use a snack or something. All this hard work has only led me to eat and drink less for the last few days" Lei grumbled, only to spot a vending machine beside his standpoint. The police man smiled, realizing that he could at least have something. "Well, it may be just a Coke, but it's better than nothing" he said and reached for his pockets in order to find some yen. After taking a coin and using it on the vending machine, Lei bought himself a can of Coke.

The Chinese man took his time to drink, and he even swallowed every liquid that was inside the can. Apparently, Lei was feeling thirsty. Given how small the can was, he finished drinking quickly.

Lei let out a sigh of relief. "Ah, now THAT was refreshing! Can't believe I'm saying this, but I really needed some caffeine to keep me awake!" the detective exclaimed in a delightful mood. But as he looked at his empty can, Lei could also see the reflection of the vending machine. At first, he believed he saw nothing but one of the drinks, but he could spot a huge black ball nearing him from behind. "Huh!? What in the hell is…" Lei quickly reacted by diving sideways before getting crushed by whatever that thing was.

It turns out, that the thing was actually a giant wrecking ball. Because of Lei avoiding it, it crushed the vending machine, as well as the wall of the building it was standing close to. The detective was filled with shock, unable to grasp the fact that he narrowly avoided death just now. Lying on the asphalt, Lei slowly got up to his feet.

"HOLY CRAP! THAT WAS CLOSE! I ALMOST THOUGHT I WAS GONNA GET SQUASHED TO DEATH!" Lei expressed his terror in what he had just experienced. But he soon directed his anger towards the crane which the wrecking ball hung from. "HEY YOU! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA! YOU ALMOST KILLED ME JUST NOW!" the detective yelled towards whoever was steering the machine.

Lei had first assumed that the driver was nothing but a careless construction worker, but as soon as the crane's door slammed wide open, the Chinese man was given chills down his spine. The one standing on top of the crane was a pale-skinned man with grey hair and a vertical scar running across his face. Obviously, the detective knew the identity of this man.

"I don't believe it…Bryan Fury!" Lei scowled as he uttered out the name of a man he had once known in the past.

The cyborg grinned at him when hearing this. "You still remember my name? Good, just as I was hoping you would" he spoke up before performing a mocking gesture which reminded Lei about one of his fighting stances. "Now tell me, Lei Wulong. How did you like my "Crane" Style!?" he tauntingly asked Lei before laughing out loud like a maniac.

Lei narrowed his eyes in seeing this, realizing that Bryan was poking fun at one of his many fighting styles, specifically the Crane Style. That's why he didn't take kindly to such insults.

"Is that supposed to be funny or something? Because honestly, that pun was terrible, even for a dirtbag like you!" Lei hit back, not hiding his hostility towards the cyborg. "Now that reminds me, why are you here in Kyoto!? To cause more suffering to innocent people, perhaps?" he now wanted some answers out of his hated enemy.

Bryan scoffed at Lei in response to this. "Tch, I'm not answering you, pig" he responded.

"It would seem to me that you and him are well-acquainted with one another, Bryan Fury" Lei's eyes snapped when he could hear a familiar voice coming from the back of the crane. Someone revealed himself for the detective to see. It was a Chinese man with the eyes of a dragon. He leaned against the crane with a smug smirk on his face. "What a coincidence. He and I also share an unpleasant history together. Isn't that correct, super cop?" he then asked Lei by addressing him with a nickname that Lei often was associated with.

"Feng Wei! You're here as well!?" Lei was in disbelief at seeing the man he had pursued during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 5. Seeing two men he had pursued in the past only made this situation worse for him. "What's all this about? Have you two started forming a criminal fan club or something?" the detective asked his enemies.

"Calling us criminals would be an understatement on your part, detective" someone appeared out of hiding in front of the crane on the other side. It was the masked wrestler calling himself Armor King. He too leaned against the crane while facing Lei. "You, on the other hand, should be pursuing criminals such as Craig Marduk. But yet you still prioritize other foolish agendas that are no concern for this world!" the masked luchador expressed his dismay with how Lei had not made a move to arrest Marduk.

Lei was unsure about Armor King, although he did remember hearing the rumors of a second Armor King making a name for himself in the luchador branch. Still, he had also heard about how the original Armor King had died in a bar brawl in the USA several years ago.

"Look, I don't know what kind of vendetta you carry against that bumbling Vale Tudo fighter, but Craig Marduk is currently not my priority!" Lei told the masked man, thus earning him a growl from Armor King. Still, Lei was feeling agitated over the fact that these fighters were confronting him. "Now for the last time: why the hell are you guys confronting me!? Have all of you decided to capture me all of a sudden!?" the detective asked them while feeling slightly backed into a corner.

Bryan jumped off the crane and landed in the middle between his comrades. "Don't play us for fools! We know that you have something to do with the anti-Mishima activities that's been happening in Kyoto lately. And last time I checked, you're still kissing Interpol's ass" the pale-skinned man spoke up.

Feeling angered, Lei stood on his defensive mode. "So that means you guys are the Zaibatsu's new mercenaries or whatever. Talk about having poor career choices" the Chinese man had to taunt his foes in hearing Bryan's answer.

Feng felt offended and slowly took several steps towards the detective. "We are not working for anyone but ourselves, Lei Wulong. As for what my ally was trying to clarify, you are in league with the rebels of the Tekken Force. And it has brought to our attention that they are the ones responsible for harboring Jin Kazama" the Kenpo master revealed.

Hearing this caught Lei completely off-guard. "What!? How on earth do they know any of this!? Has somebody tipped them of Lars and his operations!? Damnit! What if they know about Lee and his assistance to Yggdrasil?" he wondered before hearing the sound of a tank coming from behind him. Lei turned around watched in horror as a Russian T-90 main battle tank suddenly appeared. "Holy…why is there even a tank in the middle of a neighborhood such as this!?" he wondered in outrage.

But somebody soon climbed out of the tank and that pale-skinned person was standing on it facing Lei with a remorseless expression. But the detective knew who that man was, as he had read some files about him.

"Sergei Dragunov…...the White Angel of Death! Since when did he become allies with those guys? To my understanding, he's always known to be a solitary fellow" Lei wondered, finding it unbelievable in how Dragunov was cooperating with others.

Bryan snorted in seeing Dragunov's arrival. "Tch, took you long enough. Why didn't you come here earlier!? And where's that flamboyant guido and the kunoichi!?" he angrily demanded an answer, yet the Russian man simply ignored his outbursts.

"Enough of your meaningless tantrums!" Armor King silenced Bryan and took a few steps towards Lei. "Now as for you, detective. You will come with us and give every single detail you know about Jin Kazama's whereabouts. From where we stand, leaving with us would be the best outcome" the man wearing the jaguar mask gave Lei an ultimatum. While it may didn't sound that way, the detective knew that Armor King was making threats against him.

Lei knew that he was now caught in a web of dangers. He did not know why these four individuals was keen on finding Jin. Still, the Chinese man had to suspect that they were up to no good. He would have to make it back to Violet System's HQ and warn them about more enemies searching for Jin, not just the Zaibatsu or the G Corp. He currently felt himself surrounded, but there was one alternative that he could use. Not far from his standpoint was a narrow space between two houses. Perhaps he could use that to his advantage and escape from this neighborhood. Without delay, the Chinese man ran towards that space.

"Sorry, guys! But I'm not interested in joining your fan club! See ya!" Lei taunted them as he used his agility to climb up the wall that blocked the narrow space from him.

Bryan immediately pulled out his gun and started shooting at him. But Lei was quick. "Damnit! That lousy pig is getting away!" the cyborg cursed as he continued pulling the trigger.

"Not for long" Feng responded as he watched the tank Dragunov was piloting starting to move. The Chinese man made sure his comrades listened. "We best get in our vehicle and chase that foolish cop. We will corner him like a rat!" the Chinese Kenpo master told them.

"A wise suggestion, amigo" Armor King agreed and the three fighters then headed for whatever vehicle they were using.

Meanwhile, Lei had successfully managed to use the narrow space to reach the next street. It was narrow, yet the detective was confident that he would find a way out.

"Alright! Time to find a way out of this mess" the detective noted as he looked around to see if there were anybody watching him. So far, no one was. But as he was about to turn left and exit this street, the T-90 piloted by Dragunov suddenly blocked his way. It even aimed its cannon at the Chinese man. "Awwww shit!" Lei cursed as he started to run as fast as he could.

But Dragunov was not attempting to let his target get away, so he fired a shot from the tanks. It was quite a blast, and Lei was caught off balance. He narrowly avoided getting shot. Still, he had to push on and find a way out of this street as quick as he could.

"I gotta find an escape route, and fast!" Lei spoke up as he ran towards the other end of the street, which seemed to be unblocked so far. But that chance was quickly ruined when a black, four-doored 2015 Ford Mustang suddenly blocked his path. "Aw come on! Really!?" the Chinese man couldn't believe how unlucky he was today.

Once it stopped, Bryan, Armor King and Feng exited the car. They were pleased to see the distressed look on Lei's face. Bryan aimed his gun at the detective.

"Now then, how about you try running away from us now!? Try it and I'll shoot holes in your stomach!" Bryan ruthlessly told Lei.

"Save your bloodlust. Remember, we want him alive" Feng sternly reminded Bryan, although he didn't seem to give much thought to what he was told.

Lei felt himself cornered once again. But to his left, the Chinese man could see that one of the windows of the houses was open. As embarrassing and impolite the idea sounded, Lei knew that it could use that house to escape this street blockade faster. Finding a way up to the house's rooftop would only take more time and even give his foes the opportunity to get him. So without even thinking, Lei ran to the left, heading straight for the opened window and into the house.

"This better work!" Lei said to himself as he found himself in what appeared to be a bedroom. Ignoring the screaming of the Japanese couple that lived in the house, Lei proceeded to the backdoor. "Excuse me! Coming through! Police business!" he told the people, knowing that he was still being chased like an animal on the run.

When he exited the house, Lei found himself in what appeared to be a fenced area, more specifically a parking lot. Still, the detective had no problems climbing up the gate and getting out of the area. As he did that, Lei couldn't help but to think about the action he had just done.

"I better NOT tell the chief I did that!" Lei realized as he got on the other side of the gate.

As he landed, Lei could see that the street was running alongside the subway. Still, the detective proceeded to run to the left, making sure that he wasn't followed. He knew that those in the black Mustang would catch up to him, but what of the T-90? Lei was caught by surprise as the tank suddenly arrived and blocked his passage. However, Lei was growing tired of being caught in a trap.

"Not again! I'm tired of this bullcrap!" Lei exclaimed as he took the initiative to jump on the tank itself. However, he reached for something in his pockets and put on the top of the tank. "Here! You can have this!" he told Dragunov, as he had left behind a smoke grenade. The Russian soldier had gotten out just in time to see what type of grenade it was and once it exploded, he was caught in it.

Smirking, Lei proceeded to run up the street. He could see a bridge that was continuing along the avenue. For him, it was a relief, as he could now find a way to get out of this district and back to Violet System's HQ. But as he stood in the middle of that road and was about to cross, he could hear the loud sound of a car coming towards him from behind. Once again, the detective cursed.

"SON OF A….." Lei swore as the Mustang driven by Bryan, Armor King and Feng sped towards him at full speed. They were keen on actually running him over. But the Chinese man already had an idea on how to not get hit, yet it was also a recklessly stupid. So before the car could hit him, Lei did all his power to perform a jump so high that he narrowly avoided getting hit. However, he had a rough landing on the asphalt and it felt painful for his face. "OUCH….LOOKS LIKE I'LL BE VISITING THE DENTIST, SOON!" the Chinese man groaned as he got up on his knees.

Meanwhile, Bryan and his associates were angered yet surprised to see how quick-witted Lei had been to avoid getting hit.

"I can't believe this! How in the hell was he able to jump THAT high!?" Bryan demanded as he put the car in reverse in order to turn around.

"Forget about that! He is no superpowered human being" Feng berated him before he could notice something in the mirror. From what he could see, Lei was now prepared to jump off the bridge. "Wait! What is he doing now!?" the Kenpo master wanted to know as Lei was standing at the edge of the bridge.

"He is jumping down to the trains! Is he insane?" Armor King answered. But the luchador suddenly got a realization. "Wait! I know where that train must be headed! Chase after it! That detective must be heading towards Saiin" he told Bryan who was steering the wheel.

The cyborg scowled at being ordered like this. "I'm the one driving here, so shut up! he snapped as he sped the gas.

The car was going in a fast speed as it turned around. Still, none of the members of L'ordine could see Lei, let alone see the train. But as soon as the car was in a much faster speed, the three fighters managed to get a glimpse of what Lei was doing.

"There! I see him on that train!" Feng pointed out as he watched out the window.

"Tch, I already saw him before you!" Bryan rudely pointed out to him.

Believe or not, Lei did in fact jump off the bridge and landed on top of one of the trains that were heading towards the train station at Saiin. Stupid as the move was, Lei felt like it was the best plan to lose the pursuers. As he laid on his stomach and holding onto the wagon, Lei felt confident that he was about to get to safety.

"Heh! That would most certainly get those fiends off my…." Lei stopped speaking as he looked up to see the black Mustang GT still following him. This only made him agitated by the minute. "They just don't know when to quit do they!?" he expressed his frustration in seeing his pursuers following him.

But Lei looked forward and saw a tunnel. This could only mean one thing. He was almost at the station. The Chinese man knew that the trio would either be waiting for him outside or enter the station to look for him. This thing only gave the detective quite a headache. But as the train entered the tunnel and Lei was being brought along for the trip, he could notice the lights belonging to the train running on the opposite railway. This made him ponder out a cunning idea on how to outmaneuver his pursuers. Lei stood up and waited for the right moment to jump off the train to the next one.

"Heh! Those guys may think that I'll be arriving at Saiin. But now that they can't see me as I'm going underground, I'll be taking a detour!" Lei smirked and quickly jumped over to the passing train without hesitation. It was hard, given how he almost failed to grab hold of something. With tough luck, Lei managed to get on top of the train, sighing as he lied on his back. "Ahhh, thank God! Can't believe that I'm the one being chased here! It's so embarrassing!" he lamented, as Lei would have preferred to be the one apprehending and chasing criminals.

The train soon exited the tunnel, and Lei was now exposed to the daylight once again. Still, Lei didn't get up, as he felt like himself low on energy. But hi attention was focused on the bridge before him, which crumbled into a pile of boulders. The detective couldn't believe what he was seeing, yet he soon discovered how that had happened.

Apparently, Dragunov had blown the bridge with his tank, probably in an effort to prevent Lei from escaping. But now, the Russian soldier had endangered the civilians inside the train.

"NOT GOOD! THE TRAIN WILL EXPLODE ONCE IT CRASHES INTO THAT PILE OF BOULDERS!" Lei exclaimed, realizing how dangerous the situation was becoming.

Standing on his T-90, Dragunov watched the incoming scene with a pair of binoculars. He was certain that the train would crash into the pile of boulders he had created by blowing up the bridge. But the Russian soldier was in for a surprise when he could see that the results he had hoped for, turned out to be different. Dragunov removed his binoculars, the soldier stunned by the fact that the train was crashing into the wall.

* * *

 _Back at the Shadow Coliseum_

The group of fighters were still battling for their freedom. Members of the Resistance would continue to swarm in the sewers. However, given how inexperienced most of these thugs were, the group of fighters were more than capable of dealing with them. But the leaders of the Resistance were on a whole different level. Unlike their subordinated, they gave their opponents quite the challenge. Steve, Hwoarang, Asuka and Xiaoyu realized that as they were fighting Taiga, Isaak, Rumi and Yue respectively.

Even Bob and Ganryu seemed to have their fair share of fun in fighting some angry thugs. Bob was in full swing as he surprised his foes with how fast he was despite his weight. "SPEED AND….." Bob exclaimed as he first began punching an opponent before jumping in the air. "WEEEEEEEIGHT!" Bob finished as he landed on several people with his stomach. The blonde-haired man was taking joy in this, something Ganryu had taken notice of.

"I see that you are enjoying yourself" Ganryu remarked, using his Sumo techniques to push enemies away from his view.

Bob chuckled in hearing this. "Damn straight! Let's show these cocky folks their error in going easy on us because of our weights!" he encouraged the Sumo wrestler.

"Of course! Count me in!" Ganryu enthusiastically responded.

But everyone was engaged in this ongoing brawl. Both Master Raven and Raven stopped fighting off their foes when they noticed that something was off in this area. It had to do something with the shaking. But neither of them suspected this was the result of an earthquake. Raven even used the x-ray vision on his sunglasses.

"Do you see anything through here, Raven?" Master Raven questioned her subordinate while simply kicking a thug away from her spot.

As Raven kept tapping on his specialized sunglasses, he found himself gasp in disbelief. "You gotta be kidding me…" the agent noted before facing his superior. "We better get out of here fast!" he told her.

Master Raven was confused in seeing the hesitation within Raven. "Why? Are you saying that something is about too….." the black-skinned woman stopped speaking as she could hear the a noise coming from one of the walls in the underground hall.

The agents were not alone. Soon, the rest of the fighters heard it as well. Before they even knew it, a train suddenly busted out the wall and proceeded to run down any member of the Resistance that was standing in it's way. The train exploded and its wagons were sent into different spots in the underground hall. Heck, even the cage arena was torn down as a result of the train's advances.

The group of friends stood on the sidelines, watching in horror of what they were seeing. They had all fallen off balance as a result of the train's "intrusion" of their fighting. "HOLY FUCK! WHAT JUST HAPPANED!?" Hwoarang asked in anger.

"I don't know…but apparently this bloody train just appeared out of nowhere and caused quite the mess in this hall!" Steve answered Hwoarang, although he was unsure about what to say.

Asuka managed to get a closer look at the train's wreckage, and it didn't take long before the Japanese girl realized what it was. "Hold the phone. This is actually Kyoto's subway! How in the hell did they manage to crash as far as to this place!?" she wondered as she looked at the wreckage.

"Maybe I can explain it to you guys!" a familiar voice came from the hole in which the train had created as a result of it's loose rampage. It was Lei Wulong, the Hong Kong detective smiling cheekily as he barley had enough energy to stand on his feet. "Howdy, fellas! Missed me?" he asked while referring to those persons he knew.

Steve was baffled. "Lei…..what are you doing here?" the British man asked him.

Lei got out of the hole and walked up to the group, still feeling exhausted from what he had just experienced. "It's a long story…but I was actually on the run from pursuers. One of them drove in a tank that blew up the bridge above the railway, thus creating a…." he was interrupted by an angry Master Raven confronting him.

"Idiot! We told you to remain back at Violet System's HQ! And do you even realize the mess you have caused!?" Master Raven snapped at him.

But Lei stood his guard, despite being low on energy. "Woah! Don't blame me for all this mess! Like I just said, I was being chased! The bridge was blown up by Sergei Dragunov!" he hit back.

Once that name was brought up, the majority of the group widened their eyes. They knew who that man was. Even Raven was shocked in hearing this.

"You're kidding…..you mean the White Angel of Death himself was chasing you?" Raven asked, demanding an answer out of Lei.

"And not just him. I was dealing with two guys I was chasing in the past: Bryan Fury and Feng Wei. And they were accompanied by the man calling himself Armor King" the detective answered.

Xiaoyu, Julia and the rest of the group all knew what this meant. "What? You're saying those creeps are here in Kyoto? But why?" Julia asked Lei, feeling concerned about these men appearing in the city.

"Speaking of which, you didn't happen to stumble upon an Italian exorcist and a masked kunoichi, would you?" Lili suddenly spoke up, referring to Claudio and Kunimitsu respectively.

In response, Lei shook his head. "Nope. Why do you ask?" he then asked the young blondie.

Master Raven interrupted the conversation and made sure everyone paid attention to her. "This is no time to be standing here pondering. Because of this unexpected episode, the Resistance is now confused and in disarray. We better use this to our advantage and get out of here as quick as possible" she informed everyone.

They all seemed to agree, with the exception of Xiaoyu, who couldn't see any signs of Yue and the other leaders of the Reisistance. Had they died by the train's destruction? Xiaoyu felt the need to go and search for her former childhood friend.

"But shouldn't we…." Xiaoyu uttered some words, only to be shoot down by Raven.

"Forget about the Resistance-leaders. They are still alive, yet unconscious. If what Detective Lei says is true, then we must be careful when finding our way to Violet System's HQ" Raven assured Xiaoyu, before pointing his finger to one of the tunnels in the hall they were standing in. "According to data, this tunnel will take us through the subway. We can use that to avoid attracting attention" he then suggested.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's get the hell outta here before more of these pestering thugs show up" Bob expressed his wish to leave the Shadow Coliseum.

"I couldn't agree more" Ganryu agreed with Bob's sentiment.

Realizing how pointless it was to stay in the underground hall for much longer, the group of fighters was led to the tunnel by the two agents. Lei seemed more than happy to be tagging along, despite feeling drained. Luckily, Steve and Asuka were willing to help him get back on track.

But as soon as the group was gone, the leaders of the Resistance had woken up from their unconsciousness. Isaak was the first to wake up, yet he could feel his head getting hurt. "Owwww…DAMNIT!" the Israeli ex-soldier spoke up as he got up on his feet. He even coughed as he did that. "What happened? Just what the hell happened!?" Isaak asked as he looked at the wreckage of the train.

Rumi looked to study its wreckage. "No idea. We were all busy dealing with Asuka Kazama and her friends until this train showed up out of nowhere!" the Japanese biker expressed her dismay with the situation before joining up with Taiga. "Speaking of which, this train's actually from Kyoto's subway. That means somebody must've sent it off the railways so that it could crash into our location!" Rumi then spoke up.

"You don't suppose that those Tekken Force bastards did this, are you? I mean, how in the world would they know just where to send this train at!?" Yue asked Rumi, wanting to know whether she believed it.

Rumi glared at her Chinese comrade in return. "I never said that! But it IS a possibility they could be behind this" she snapped at her.

But Yue remained calm in face of the Japanese biker's attitude towards her. "Whatever…right now would not be the best time to attack one another" she pointed out while facing the wreckage of the train.

"Well said, Yue" the calm voice came from Taiga. He approached the wreckage the train had created in the Shadow Coliseum. From what his comrades could tell, the Japanese man was feeling sad. But they understood his feelings, even as he didn't show it on the outside. "So many brothers and sisters…died because of this….." the Karate fighter fell onto his knees.

Isaak approached Taiga, having similar thoughts when it came to the fact that not just members of the Resistance, but the passengers inside that train, had died because of this tragedy. After ten seconds of silence, Isaak broke it when he spoke to Taiga with a smooth voice.

"Their lives won't be in vain" the Israeli ex-soldier told him, forcing Taiga to watch him in surprise. Isaak nodded his head. "You heard me. Whoever did this to us will pay! Whether they are Zaibatsu or G Corp, we don't know for sure. But given the lives that has perished, there's no way we're gonna let it slide" he pointed out.

Taiga slowly got up to his feet, still facing Isaak. The Japanese man couldn't help but to smile weakly at his comrade. Apparently, he was relieved to know that despite Isaak's hot-headed persona, he could be a caring person whenever the situation required.

"Absolutely, Isaak. We shall avenge them" he told the ex-soldier before facing the many members of the Resistance that were still present in the underground hall. Taiga wanted their undivided attention. "Brothers and sisters. This atrocious act that caused so many lives is a sign of enmity towards the Resistance. However, we will not be deterred by such. As a matter of fact, we will now take the fight to the streets! No longer will be hide here like rats! We must show the Mishima Zaibatsu that we are not afraid of them! So are you with me, brothers and sisters!? Will you aid me and comrades in resisting the Zaibatsu's lordship!?" the Japanese man started rallying his subordinates.

They all cheered for him in return. This only confirmed their willingness to follow him into battle, wherever that would happen or not. Still, this terrifying episode had energized and galvanized the Resistance to act more bolder towards their foes.

As people kept cheering for him, Taiga returned his attention to his closest allies. He wanted a few words with them. "Not only did we lose many brave comrades to this attack. We also lost our captives" he referred to Asuka, Xiaoyu and the others.

"Yeah, they probably got away while we were unconscious" Rumi said, before scowling in anger as she thought about that fact. "Damnit, and I was THIS close to beating that little squirt's ass!" she lamented over being unable to beat Asuka.

Isaak only scoffed at her. "Oh, come off it, Rumi. You'll have plenty of opportunities to get back at her before you're dead" the Israeli man assured Rumi.

"Bite me, Isaak" the Japanese biker rudely responded.

"Alright, let's get real here" Yue got their attention before facing Taiga. "So, you're saying that we'll be making our move now? I like that and all, but are you sure we're ready, Taiga?" the Chinese girl asked him.

He weakly nodded his head in return. "Without question, Yue. While Heihachi Mishima and his cronies celebrate their so-called victory, the Resistance will claim Kyoto for itself. That will show him the message that he needs to hear" Taiga responded to Yue, realizing that a part of her had some level of doubt. "I ask that all of you clear your doubts. Because we will finally stand up for the oppressed and bring justice to the victims of the Zaibatsu's warfare" Taiga informed his comrades.

Isaak, Yue and Rumi were left with so much to reflect. Never had they expected Taiga to take such risky decisions. But then again, desperate times called for desperate measures.

* * *

 _In the streets near Kyoto Tower, Kyoto, Japan_

Having previously pursued Lei Wulong to the train station at Saiin, Bryan, Armor King and Feng realized that he had actually jumped to the train running on opposite railways just before he reached the station. And worse, they had learned of what Dragunov had done in order to stop the train from going forward. As a matter of fact, it was now on the news. On giant screens, the T-90 tank Dragunov had piloted was shown.

In order to not get caught by police or anything suspicious, Dragunov had bombed he tank and was now sitting in the black Ford Mustang along with his fellow members of L'ordine. All of them were observing a nearby screen showing a news anchor explaining what had transpired.

" _An accident in Kyoto's subway has cost more than 20 human lives. Witnesses say that this tank blew up a bridge over the railways, causing the train to crash into the nearby wall. Afterwards, the man piloting the tank blew it with a detonator bomb. Witnesses say that man was wearing a mask, thus unable to be identified_ " the news anchor was seen talking about the events on the screen.

Bryan, who was sitting in the driver's seat growled in anger before looking over his shoulder to glare at Dragunov sitting in the passenger seats. "You just had to draw unwanted attention to us, Rusky! Hope you're pleased with what you've done" the pale-skinned man expressed his anger.

Dragunov did not respond back as usual, although he did glare coldly at Bryan for the slur he just used. Still, the Russian soldier soon faced outside the window, feeling like pretending he was not listening to Bryan.

"I am curious. Since when did you become so focused on following orders from that exorcista?" Armor King, who sat beside Bryan, asked the cyborg. The masked luchador had his gaze upon Bryan, who was still facing forward. "If I recall correctly, you craved nothing but bloodshed, even towards the defenseless. So why are you behaving this way?" he asked him directly.

Being asked this was more than enough for Bryan to get angry at Armor King. "Shut your piehole! You don't know a damn thing about me, nor do you know about my desires. So get off my case, you stupid WWE-reject!" Bryan snapped at the man wearing the black jaguar mask.

When he heard this insult, Armor King immediately reached for the collar of Bryan's jacket. His metallic glove clenched hard. For some reason, Bryan's insult had really made Armor King upset. It was as if his dignity had been insulted

"You dare liken me to those poor excuses for wrestlers!? Puta madre!" Armor King cursed at him in Spanish, ever letting go of his grip on Bryan's collar. "Do not insult me by equating me with mere actors who follow scripts! They are like Craig Marduk, deluded fools who don't know what being a wrestler truly is!" the luchador continued threatening Bryan.

Despite seeing how angry and furious Armor King was towards him, Bryan simply formed a smirk in return. "Is that so? Well, that chained mini-jacket you're wearing there does resemble one of those WWE-losers. I can't remember his name, but he wears black leather and chains" he spoke up.

Being spoken to this manner infuriated Armor King. "You be silent, bastardo! I could easily dispose of those false wrestlers if I wanted to! And I could do the same thing to you!" he snapped.

Bryan held onto his metallic hand. "What are you waiting for?" he taunted him.

But before the confrontation could escalate ay further, Feng intervened. He reached out to the front seats and pushed Bryan and Armor King away from each other. The Chinese Kenpo master had grown tired of watching this kafuffle.

"This is no time to be focusing on petty squabbles" Feng reminded his two comrades as he separated them with a gentle push on both. It didn't take long before Bryan and Armor King stopped focusing on one another. "That being said, we have yet to hear from Claudio or the kunoichi. Why haven't they called us?" he then wondered while thinking about their comrades.

Bryan crossed his arms as he leaned his back against the seat. "The hell I know. I bet that guido is off somewhere screwing around!" he rudely responded.

Feng narrowed his dragon-like eyes at him in return. "That is not a sufficient answer. Perhaps we should try contacting them" he suggested.

Armor King noticed the walkie-talkie hanging in front of him, so he decided to do that given how uncooperative Bryan currently was. But the luchador was in for a surprise when they were indeed contacted on the walkie-talkie by none other than Claudio Serafino. He started the conversation with an outraged tone.

" _JUST WHAT HAVE YOU SIMPLETONS DONE!?_ " Claudio asked through the walkie-talkie, his voice being heard from the device. " _I specifically told you to capture Lei Wulong or any other persons of interest alive! I never asked you to cause disturbances in Kyoto!_ " the exorcist's angry voice continued to be heard.

Bryan snorted in return. "Well, that ain't my fault! It's the Rusky's!" the cyborg hit back at Claudio. He then grabbed hold of the walkie-talkie and held it close to his mouth. "And that reminds me, where are you at? I thought you said you and that kunoichi were gonna come here to assist us!" Bryan demanded some answers out of him.

A sigh could be heard from the walkie-talkie. " _Oddio. I am starting to regret forming L'ordine with you fools_ " Claudio admitted, yet he was not finished speaking. " _Anyway, did someone witness Dragunov exit and detonate the tank?_ " he then asked them.

"Yes, someone did see him. But he was wearing a mask that covered his entire face. And he also changed clothes before he detonated the tank. Therefore, there is not reason to be worried about our involvement in this mess" Feng spoke up to the walkie-talkie.

Dragunov didn't open his mouth. He kept glancing out of the window to pretend he wasn't listening to the conversation. A part of him felt weary in accompanying these people, let alone do business with Claudio. But because of his promise of giving Jin Kazama to the Russian Government, Dragunov couldn't abandon the mission just yet.

" _Very well. Then you fools better stay wherever you are. Me and Kunimitsu will arrive at your location soon. We have done some reconnaissance work throughout the city and will be more than happy to share them with you. So none of you are to exit the car you're in. Besides, it would be wise to lay low while this news is dominating the headlines of Kyoto's news channel_ " Claudio informed his allies as they listened.

"Whatever you say. But be quick, guido! I'm starting to grow impatient with you and your false promises" Bryan insulted Claudio with impatience.

" _I can assure you that I 100 % keep my word, Bryan Fury. I only expect you to do the same thing. E per favore. Stop referring to me with such idiotic words like the one you just used. Bear in mind that I am no mobster_ " the exorcist tried to make sure that Bryan was still in the game. The cyborg didn't respond, not feeling like talking to him anymore. " _Well then, I hope to see you again soon, my friends. Until we meet, stay in the car and keep yourselves out of trouble. That is all I ask of you. Arrivederci!_ " those were the last words before Claudio stopped communicating with them.

Feng leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes. "As much as I hate to agree with him, the exorcist does have a point with us staying in the car being more preferable. Hopefully, he and the kunoichi has done something productive" the Chinese man spoke up his mind.

"Hmm….I am not so sure" Armor King spoke up.

As they were waiting inside the Ford Mustang, Bryan could suddenly spot someone on the other sidewalk across the road. It was the train station, which was also the place where the shinkansen stopped in Kyoto. But what really caught Bryan's attention was something else.

"Hey amigo. Look! There's a guy wearing a jaguar mask. Isn't he your pal or something?" Bryan told Armor King.

The luchador did look out the window at Bryan's side. Once he got a good view of what was happening, his entire body froze. The man Bryan was talking about was indeed King. But he was not alone as Armor King could see. Accompanying him were two Koreans, who seemed to be Taekwondo fighter. However, it was the tall and muscular man wearing the hoodie that sent shivers in Armor King's spine.

"You….it's….you!" Armor King spoke up, as he was specifically gazing at his hated enemy: the Vale Tudo fighter named Craig Marduk. He was walking alongside his best friend. His facial beard may have made him unrecognizable to some, but not to Armor King. He would always remember the face of his brother's killer. The very sight of him filled the masked luchador with resentment and rage. "So you're discharged from the hospital. But why are you here? No matter…you will not be headed for the hospital this time…instead…...you are headed for the cemetary!" the thoughts dominated Armor King's thoughts.

His comrades didn't understand why he was behaving this way. But from the looks of it, Armor King wanted to exit the car and confront both King and Armor King right now. They could tell that he was enraged, even though they couldn't read his face because of the black jaguar mask.

 _To be continued…_


	29. Taming Your Anger

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Taming Your Anger**

 _Outside the Violet System's HQ in Kyoto, Japan_

Josie Rizal, the former member of the Tekken Force who had been betrayed by her higher-ups, found herself standing outside the HQ of Violet Systems. Not long ago, the Filipina had been approached by members of the rebel squadron of the Tekken Force called Yggdrasil. They offered her a place in their ranks. But Josie, already feeling embittered by Heihachi's betrayal had politely turned down their request. However, those soldiers had ben understanding towards her. They even encouraged Josie to take her time to reflect on her choices. And she was always welcome in Yggdrasil whenerver she changed her mind.

Josie looked up to see the fancy skyscraper. Truth be told, it was impressive, especially during the day. But then again, the young Filipina had been there before, during her time in the Tekken Force. It was an infiltration mission whose objectives were to capture Lee Chaolan alive. But unbeknownst to them, Lee was not in Kyoto. But now, he had returned.

"Alright. This is it" Josie spoke to herself as she took small steps towards the entrance. "Honestly, I find it hard to believe why rebels of the Tekken Force would hide in a place like this. But they told me this was their hideout" the Filipina recalled back to her conversations with the members of Yggdrasil.

The entrance looked quite funky, just the style Lee had a taste in. It was decorated with the color violet, which was of course his favorite. But Josie decided to ignore the bizarre design and entered the building.

When she was inside, Josie found herself entering a lobby that seemed to hold all the luxury one could ever imagine. She could see plants, fountains, as well as statues and pictures of Lee. The young Filipina was dumbstruck by what she was seeing.

"Really? This guy looks like a complete narcissist. I mean, what kind of jerk would've had statues of himself in a lobby?" Josie wondered as she looked around in the lobby.

But as she did that, Josie was interrupted by a gentle voice calling to her in the lobby. "Can I help you, madam?" it came from a beautiful receptionist who stood on a chair.

Knowing what she needed to say, Josie fixed an awkward smile while facing the receptionist. "Yeah…hello there. My name's Josie Rizal and I'm here to speak with Lee Chaolan and Lars Alexandersson. You see, they invited me here" the young girl told the receptionist as honest as she could.

The receptionist smiled in return. "Ah, I see. Very well then, I will get them here shortly. You just sit and wait on the lounge until then" she kindly responded.

Josie did as she told, feeling kind of relieved to know that she was not being tricked, for now. As the Filipina sat on the comfortable lounge, she couldn't help but to look forward in meeting Lars. Yes, she had heard much about him when she was inducted into the Tekken Force. But at that time, speaking his name was considered to be a taboo, so Josie had to be careful not to express her admiration of Lars in the open.

"I wonder what kind of man Lars Alexandersson really is. He can't be as bad as the Tekken Force make him out to be. Yeah, they're exaggerating. It's Heihachi who lacks honor and decency" Josie thought as she felt excited about meeting this man.

Josie kept pondering about Lars, only to be interrupted by someone speaking to her. But this was not the voice of the receptionist. It was someone she knew very well.

"Oye. Filipina" Josie looked up and saw Miguel Caballero Rojo standing not far from her location. He looked at her in his usual condescending attitude. "What kind of place is this? Are you checking into a rehab or something?" Miguel questioned her as if he was surprised in seeing the lobby and it's interior.

Josie scowled in seeing him standing there and rose up from the longue. "You again? Argh, for crying out loud, what are you doing!? Or more importantly, how did you find me here!?" she demanded some answers out of Miguel.

Miguel was unfazed at her surprise of seeing him. "Calmate, niña. It's not so hard to know where you are going. Yesterday I eavesdropped on a conversation you had with two Tekken Force members in an alley. And that's why I followed you to this location" he explained it to her as if was not that big of a deal.

However, Josie was outraged in hearing what he had done. "Have you been stalking me!? You're a creep! That's freaking harassment!" the young Filipina was really ticked off, feeling more than willing to attack Miguel right now.

Even so, the Spaniard didn't seem scared of her rage, not that he cared anyway. "Hey, I only followed you because of necessity. I'm not some kind of pervert who likes stalking women. Get that through your thick skull" Miguel pointed out to the Filipina.

"Necessity my ass! You have the balls to actually be stalking someone without them knowing! That definitely makes you a creep, or a pervert if not worse!" Josie snapped at him. But she suddenly turned her back on him and crossed her arms. "Now that's been said, go away and leave me alone! I don't wanna hear you ranting about all kinds of things or whatever!" she said, not even looking at Miguel.

Miguel couldn't stand the tone in Josie's voice, so he decided not to back down from this confrontation. "And who are you to command me? As for as I know, I only answer to myself!" he questioned her, only to see that Josie was ignoring him. This made him irritated, so he decided to reach for her shoulder. "Oye! I'm talking to you, little….." the Spaniard was surprised to see Josie angrily swat his hand away.

"Don't you dare putting your filthy hands on me!" the Filipina spat at him. She clearly did that to send a warning to him.

Even so, Miguel would not be deterred. Josie's actions had only fueled his burning rage. "Estúpido Filipina…." Miguel growled lowly, yet loud anger could be heard coming from him. "You better have health insurance! I've got no qualms in hospitalizing perras like you!" the tall Spaniard openly displayed his aggressiveness towards Josie.

In response, Josie stood in her fighting stance. "You think I'm scared of you just because of threats you utter? Oh, please. The only thing that you succeed in doing is to make a complete ass out of yourself!" she didn't hold back in roasting Miguel.

This only added fuel to the fire for Miguel. At this rate, it was pointless speaking with words. Rather, he would speak with his fists. The Spaniard was about to unleash his rage upon the young Filipina, only to stop when he heard someone clapping hands.

Both Josie and Miguel looked to their side to see a white-haired man dressed in fancy clothes do the clapping. It was Lee Chaolan, the eccentric CEO of Violet Systems. But he was not alone. Accompanying him was the leader of Yggdrasil Lars Alexandersson and the android Alisa Bosconovitch.

"Now, now, children. There is no need for violence. Bear in mind that you're both standing in MY building. And one of its rules is simple: no aggressive behavior" Lee scolded Miguel and Josie, soon ceasing the clapping. He fixed a smug smile as he faced Josie. "Ah, you must be the ex-Tekken Force officer we have heard so much about. It's a great pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Josie Rizal. I am Lee Chaolan, CEO of Violet Systems" he introduced himself to her with a formal bow.

Josie was unsure of what to say in return. "Yeah…likewise, Mr. Lee" those were the words she could come up. But she was surprised when her eyes caught the sight of Lars standing beside Lee. "Woah…Lars Alexandersson…it's that really you?" she asked while approaching him.

Lars smiled at the Filipina and nodded his head at her. "That's right. It's nice to meet you in person, Josie" the Swedish man gently said while reaching out his hand to her. "I've heard of your exploits in the Tekken Force. I have to say, you really are a prodigy to have been promoted to second-in-command in your squadron" he complimented her achievements while shaking hands

This made Josie feel a little embarrassed. She even tried to hide her blushing cheeks. "Please…...you flatter me" she mumbled through words, struggling to come up with a better sentence. Truth be told, she had never expected Lars to be this compassionate leader.

Alisa stepped forward, politely bowing her head towards Josie. "My name is Alisa Bosconovitch. Pleased to meet you" she introduced herself and reached out a hand to Josie.

Josie happily shook hands with Alisa, already making a good impression with the android. But the young Filipina could see that her hosts were taking notice of Miguel, so they began approaching him.

"We also see that you have brought a friend with you. And who might he be?" Lee asked Josie while glancing over at Miguel, who had already his arms crossed while facing away. So far, the Spaniard hadn't looked at either Lee nor his friends.

Josie quickly stood before Lee. "Don't pay attention to him, Mr. Lee. That guy's nothing but trouble. He's been stalking and harassing me ever since the tournament was called off. And yet I've no idea why he still does that!" she answered Lee.

Hearing this made Miguel scowl in anger at the Filipina. "Callate! I told you before that I'm not stalking anybody! If you honestly believe that I've got hots for perras like you, then you're unbelievably delusional!" the Spaniard hit back at Josie, who only got offended in return.

"What did you just say to me!?" Josie snapped, only for Lee to move past her. He probably did that as a means of preventing her from lashing out against Miguel.

The silver-haired business tycoon bowed his head towards the hotheaded Spaniard. "I humbly welcome you to my building, kind sir. But I must please ask that you refrain from using demeaning language towards young ladies like Josie here. Surely, you wouldn't mind that now, would you?" he asked Miguel.

Josie almost dropped her jaw in disbelief. "What! You're not seriously planning on recruiting this miserable ruffian, are you!? Believe me, he's nothing but a huge pain in my neck! And he will become that for you as well! There's no use in having him here!" the Filipina wanted to know what Lee's intentions were while at the same time trying to encourage her not to recruit Miguel.

So far, Miguel had only glanced at Lee and his friends with condescending eyes. However, he was not acting as aggressive as he was before. After a couple of seconds, the tall Spaniard reluctantly spoke up.

"Very well. I'll respect your rules and honor them…for now, at least" Miguel told him, much to the satisfaction of Lee.

"Excellent! That's the answer I was hoping for! Well then, might we ask your name, sir?" Lee asked him.

Miguel was still frowning at the trio, yet they still spoke to him as if he was welcome at Violet Systems. Nevertheless, the brown-haired man told them his name.

"Me llamo Miguel Caballero Rojo" he plainly answered Lee in Spanish.

This made Lee surprisingly amused. "Ah, so you're from Spain? How fascinating. I have heard so much stories about Spain and it's "romantic culture", if you catch my drift" he spoke up, yet Miguel was not following him. "Now, where in Spain are you from, exacty?" Lee then asked.

The fiery Spaniard didn't know whether to take Lee's words for granted. Still, Miguel felt the need to respond, yet he chose to do so unkindly. "Besa mi culo" he spoke in Spanish, much to the surprise of Lee.

"Goodness, such language you have…" the business tycoon had difficulties in grasping Miguel's attitude towards him.

Josie only stood on the sidelines, watching the scene with dispassion. "Why did I not see that one coming" she thought while observing.

But Alisa had started to grow curious about the language Miguel had spoken in. "This language…I take it you must be speaking in Spanish, correct?" the pink-haired girl asked him friendly, to which Miguel weakly nodded his head as a yes. "Well, you're not the only European here. You see, I'm from Russia. And Lars here is actually Swedish" Alisa went on explaining some details.

"I'm glad that you are making a good impression here, Alisa. But it looks like we have no time to waste" Lars informed her before turning his attention to both Josie and Miguel. "We appreciate that you have decided to aid us. But let us fill you in on what our mission is in Lee's office. There, I can assure you that we will be safe" he told them.

Neither Josie or Miguel held any reservations about this, so they followed the trio to the elevator. But they each faced one another with nothing but open contempt. Reluctantly, they had decided not to get all aggressive with one another.

"I don't know what your game is, but I will not be your friend or anything. So don't get any ideas" Josie sternly reminded the Spaniard.

Miguel grunted in return. "Fine by mine. I never wanted to be your friend in the first place. I trust that you will do the same thing for me" he rudely replied.

Josie crossed her arms while huffing. "Whatever you say, jackass" she hit back at him.

In the elevator, neither Miguel nor Josie spoke to one another, yet they did listen to the conversation Lars and Lee were having. From what they heard, things were looking from for the resistance against the Mishima Zaibatsu.

"As you may know, the Mishima Zaibatsu Victory Celebration Banquet takes place this evening in Taito. I can only imagine how high and mighty Heihachi must be feeling, given that the world's top diplomats now view him as their savior" Lars told Lee, who was listening to him. "Even so, there is one positive thing about the upcoming celebrations. It will spare us persecutions from the Tekken Force for a while. And let's not forget that Heihachi is in possession of a weapon of mass destruction floating in space" he added to his explanation.

Lee nodded his head. "Precisely. Which is why we will use this time to regroup and plan our next move against the Zaibatsu. We may as well start finding allies like these two" the business tycoon remarked while briefly eyeing Josie and Miguel. "And while we're at it, it would be best if we use this time to gather our strengths. It is at the peak of his arrogance when Heihachi is most vulnerable and careless. That I can assure you based upon past experiences" Lee assured his friends.

"Indeed. But we must take caution. We don't know how to exactly win this war, even if Heihachi is deposed of. We will have to wait for us to fully act against the Zaibatsu when Jin has awoken" Lars then said.

"Of course, Lars. We most certainly will" Lee replied, thus easing Lars' concerns.

But unbeknownst to either of them, Miguel had slowly started to give into his rage and cry for vengeance. The name Jin had been brought up to him. But surprisingly, the Spaniard managed to hide it from the others. Right now, he was thinking about only one thing: revenge.

"I knew it! Jin Kazama is here!" Miguel said while clenching his fists. "Hijo de puta! As soon as I know where you are being held, I will come for your sorry ass! Mark my words!" the brown-haired man was screaming for the opportunity to put Jin out of his misery.

As Miguel was struggling with keeping his silent anger in check, Alisa had taken notice of how different the Spaniard was behaving. As much as the android wanted to ask if he was alright, a part of her felt like Miguel was trying to fight it himself. Therefore, she chose not to speak up. Hopefully, he would come at ease when he was taken to Lee's office.

"I can tell that this man is hiding a wounded heart. Why he is doing that, I'm not sure of. But this is something that is common among humans. I know that a lot of them try to hide their wounded hearts. But is that good for their health? Even that remains a mystery to me" Alisa wondered as she studied the aggressive Spaniard's behavior.

* * *

 _Outside Kyoto Tower, Kyoto, Japan_

Baek Doo San, Craig Marduk, King and Shuwawei were passing by the Kyoto Tower on the opposite sidewalk. Having arrived in Kyoto from Osaka, the group wanted to start searching for Baek's impulsive student: Howarang. But they had barley gotten settled in the city, neither did they know where to specifically start searching. In addition to that, none of them knew the location of the Shadow Coliseum.

"Woah…." Marduk uttered out in an unamused tone as he looked up to watch Kyoto Tower. "Does every freaking city in Japan have towers like these? I mean, it seems so cliché" the Australian man asked his friends, curious to know about towers in Japan.

"Not necessarily. From what I know, the only other place where there exists an observation tower is Tokyo. But that tower is taller compared to this one here" Shuwawei politely answered the Vale Tudo fighter.

In response, Marduk grinned cheekily while giving her a thumbs up. "Ah, thanks for filling me in, sweetcheeks! You're a smart one!" he thanked her, yet the Korean woman was somewhat disturbed by his attitude.

"While I do appreciate your compliment, I would kindly ask that you not address me by nicknames such as "sweetcheeks". Think you can do that for me, Craig Marduk?" Shuwawei requested him in a soft manner.

Marduk scratched his facial beard as he heard that, feeling a little bit stunned at her words. "Okay…...if you say so. Sorry if my words hurt you or anything. But I'm just trying to be polite with the ladies and all" he told her.

Shuwawei had to giggle in what she was hearing from him. "That's very nice of you, but there are other ways to act polite towards us women. A good example is to not flirt with them and then come up with random nicknames" she explained to him. But from the looks of it, Marduk had a hard time understanding what she said. "You're not quite following me, are you?" she wondered while looking at him.

"Don't bother teaching him. Marduk's quite the womanizer, if you catch my drift" King recommended Shuwawei, who were listening to him.

However, Marduk didn't take kindly to King's words. "Hey! I'm no womanizer! I'm only trying to act civilized around them!" he snapped at King. He soon calmed himself. "You know what they say, the ladies love a man that's got three things: muscles, charms and manners. Oh yeah!" the Vale Tudo fighter was acting all high and mighty while showcasing his muscular arms.

Shuwawei laughed at this nervously, yet King facepalmed with what he saw his best friend do. They could both see that Marduk was now in la-la land. Therefore, it was no use in reasoning him about how to treat women.

"Yeah…I see what you mean" Shuwawei told King, agreeing with his sentiment about Marduk's womanizing.

"Alrighty, folks. We're finally in Kyoto. But I'm not sure where to begin the search. Hell, I don't know where this "Shadow Coliseum" is specifically" Baek told his friends while looking over his shoulders.

His fellow Taekwondo fighter was trying to figure out something. "Hmm…...we could perhaps go and ask a local. But we'd probably have to venture into the alleys in order to find clues. I seriously doubt that average citizens in Kyoto would know about the Shadow Coliseum" Shuwawei came up with a suggestion to Baek.

The middle-aged man had to smile when he heard what she came up with. "Sounds like a good start, Shuwawei. But I have this feeling in gut telling me that Hwoarang could be someplace else in this damn city. Oh God, I'm starting to have a headache over thinking about this dilemma" Baek said.

Marduk had to grin. "But if your student's a ruffian and all, then the Shadow Coliseum would be an ideal place for him to be at, don't ya think?" the Vale Tudo fighter was giving Baek his opinions.

Baek had to chuckle in amusement. "I can't say I disagree with you on that one, youngster. But what if he to some chance was not in that place? That's the scenario I'm trying to picture. But you never know what kind of shenanigans Hwoarang will end up in" he told Marduk.

As he walked with the group, King couldn't help but to hear the sound of a cars driving by them. Briefly looking over his shoulder, the luchador could see the typical Japanese traffic jam. But for some reason, King felt uneasy.

"Strange. I can almost tell that someone is following us" King noted as he looked at the many cars in the traffic jam one by one. But the Mexican man froze once he saw someone sitting inside a 2015 Ford Mustang. "No…..it can't be…" King was at loss for words.

Marduk, who had noticed his best friend acting weird, decided to check on him. "Hey amigo. Are you feeling okay?" he asked King, the two Taekwondo fighters also taking notice of King's behavior.

Looking at the nearby alleyway, King decided to led his friends in there. "We need to go inside that alley. And fast!" he told them.

His best friend was confused. "Say what? Why do you wanna go inside that…." Marduk was interrupted when King grabbed his hand and led him into the alleyway as quick as possible. Both Baek and Shuwawei followed suit, curious to know why King was acting so secretive all of a sudden.

Once they were done with the alleyway, the group found themselves on the narrow street called Akezu-no-mon Dori. It was a long street that ran in the backyard of large buildings. Only pedestrians could be seen walking in this street, yet there were several scooters, cars and trucks being parked by the buildings. In King's mind, they would be safe for now, given that they were not out in the open. So be began moving inwards, his friends tagging along as a result.

"Okay. Now you're starting to weird me out. What's gotten into you, King?" Marduk wanted some answers out of King.

He felt very reluctant to tell him about what he had seen, let alone the danger Marduk was in at the moment. But King could not bring himself to hide this from his best friend, let alone Baek and Shuwawei who were also trustworthy.

"I brought you in here because of the circumstances. For some reason, I could tell that we were being followed by someone. That's why we should use this street for cover" King answered.

"We're being followed? By who?" Baek asked, feeling slightly distressed with what he was hearing. "Don't tell me that you were involved in some shady business with the Yakuza before we came to Japan" the Korean man then suggested.

This made King feel agitated, so he decided to simply spit it out. He stopped walking and faced his friends. "It's not criminal gangs that were following us. It's…...him!" the wrestler said, specifically facing Marduk.

The expression on Marduk's face changed into that of astonishment. He didn't have words for what his best friend had just revealed to him. But before he could even open his mouth, Marduk and his friends were interrupted by the sound of a black Ford Mustang speeding towards them.

"Watch out! That car's running fast!" Shuwawei exclaimed and she started to run.

But to her surprise, the black Mustang stopped just right before the group's location. It was blocking them from running back where they came from. King could feel the anguish within him building up.

"Mierda! Why did this had to happen now!?" King cursed in Spanish as the car's four doors opened

The doors opened and out came familiar faced they knew from the tournament. But for King and Marduk, the one most shocking was the appearance of Armor King. With him were Bryan, Feng and Dragunov, all them standing before the car they had just exited.

Baek could recall some of the faces he had known from the previous tournaments, yet Shuwawei had less knowledge about them. But as with King and Marduk, the two Taekwondo fighters were also stunned to see these people blocking their path from behind.

Bryan grinned sadistically with what he was seeing. "Lookie here! Another bunch of preys we just caught!" the pale-skinned man was having fun with this.

But none of his compatriots had the same feeling, especially Feng. "Hmmm…..demented fool" the Chinese man expressed his dismay with Bryan's thinking.

Marduk had his eyes completely fixated upon Armor King. The man with the black jaguar mask had so in return, even though his face could not be seen. Armor King resisted the urge to angrily launch himself at the Vale Tudo fighter.

"So, you have finally arrived in Japan, Craig Marduk. How unexpected. I was under the impression that you would stay back in Mexico and lick your wounds. But given your simplemindedness, such is not to be expected from the likes of you" Armor King spoke up, his voice hinting to his open dispassion of Marduk. "Did you honestly believe that I would not recognize you because of that beard and your ridiculous new outfit!? You are a blind fool, Vale Tudo imbécil!" the luchador continued with his verbal assault on the Australian man.

Despite hearing this, Marduk couldn't help but to smirk at Armor King. "You say you recognize me despite my new beard? Well, I'm flattered, honestly!" Marduk spoke up smugly. But his smirk soon turned upside down. "But I won't stand for the insults hurled at me. We're all human, so nobody's perfect" he then added.

Hearing this made Armor King enraged. "After what you have done, you have the guts to come and claim you know about right and wrong!?" he was furious with what he was saying.

King, who felt like he couldn't just stand by and let this happen, decided to intervene. "Listen carefully, so-called "Armor King". This is not the right time to be dwelling on personal vendettas. For us, there are more pressing matters to be concerned…" the Mexican man was trying to speak up his mind, only for Armor King to shut him down.

"Vete a la mierda! This is between me and him! I have no interest in your supposed honor or ideals!" Armor King verbally assaulted him.

King reluctantly backed down, yet he still felt the urge to launch himself at the armored luchador. His fists clenched tightly as he watched the growing animosity building up between Armor King and Marduk.

Baek had to admit that he was surprised to see Armor King. But something was different with him. It didn't take long before the middle-aged man realized what the case was.

"You do look like Armor King. I mean, you wear the same mask and all. But you're not the Armor King I knew from the first King of Iron Fist tournaments, right?" Baek asked him, starting to see a pattern with these wrestlers wearing a jaguar mask.

Armor King directed his attention to the Taekwondo fighter. "It is as you suspect. Armor King is more than just one person" he informed him before pointing a finger at Marduk. "My late older brother was also Armor King, the same older brother that was killed by this bastardo standing right there!" Armor King then exclaimed.

Marduk stood in silence as he received those words. He had been there before, when Armor King had revealed his true identity to Marduk and King. However, a flashback from several years ago started to invade his mind. The pictures he saw, it was from a bar brawl in Arizona, near the US-Mexican border. Although he had constantly been trying to forget about that episode, Marduk still couldn't forget the blood on his hands on that fateful night.

Both Baek and Shuwawei looked at Marduk with shocked expressions. It was only natural, considering that they had found out a shocking fact about the Vale Tudo fighter.

"What the hell…...did you actually…...kill the previous Armor King?" Baek asked him bewildered.

Shuwawei was not getting a realization in her head. "It all makes sense now" she noted before facing Marduk with a disapproving glance. "You lied to us about the arrest. You weren't arrested for the bar brawl, you were arrested for murder!" the Korean woman pointed out the lie that Marduk had told both her and Baek.

Marduk felt himself gained upon by the Koreans a little. "Look! What I did in the past is irrelevant to you guys, so back off!" he surprisingly berated the Koreans, even Shuwawei. But the Vale Tudo fighter returned his focus on Armor King. "And as for you. I don't know what kind of circus you have joined, but I couldn't give a squat about it. Right now, I'm out to save innocent people from suffering in this war! And the last thing I need is you screwing me over! So do me and favor and beat it!" he launched himself at the group before him.

None of the members of L'ordine seemed intimidated by Marduk's outburst, not even Armor King. In fact, the masked luchador could only smell their duel coming towards him. He could no longer wait. His thirst for combat was taking hold of him. Armor King even started taking few steps forwards, specifically facing Marduk.

"I could care less about this damn war! All that I want is to avenge my brother!" Armor King exclaimed while clenching his metallic gloves. "No more games! I challenge you, Craig Marduk!" he then added while standing ready to fight.

Bryan was feeling pleased with seeing this upcoming duel. But he didn't feel like being left alone. "Hey amigo. Mind if I take care of that guy for ya? I could keep him occupied" the pale-skinned man asked him.

Armor King shrugged his armored shoulders. "Suit yourself. But do not even think about getting in between me and HIM. The Vale Tudo fighter is mine!" the luchador coldly replied to Bryan's request.

"Oh, you can count on me!" Bryan spoke up before facing King with a sadistic grin. "Tell me, are you as feral as your mask make you out to be? I would love to find that out" the cyborg didn't hide his desire to battle King.

King stood his guard when seeing how Bryan was willing to attack him. "Maldito sea! Of course, that demented fool would take advantage of this" he murmured, yet the Mexican man looked over to watch Marduk. Once again, his greatest fear was becoming a reality. "And at this rate, I don't think that I can even intervene in order to stop them from clashing" King thought.

While Baek was observing how Armor King and Bryan were looking for an opponent, he could soon notice Feng making a move towards him. The middle-aged man stood in his fighting position, yet Baek soon came to realization about this man.

"Wait. I know you! You're that Chinese Kenpo fighter who's been battling dojo masters across China and Japan! They have almost died because of your actions!" Baek spoke up, recalling the man he had seen during the previous tournaments.

Still, Feng was unfazed at his words. "And why does that matter to you?" he asked Baek, yet the Chinese man couldn't help but to notice the stance his opponent was standing in. "I see. So you are a Taekwondo master. And not just any ordinary Taekwondo master. You are the one called Baek Doo San" he remarked.

The Korean man's eyes widened in surprise in what he was hearing. "How do you know my name? Answer me!" Baek snapped, barley managing to hold back his impatience.

Feng couldn't help but to smirk at Baek while crossed his arms. "I know every dojo master across the Orient that has made a name for themselves in the King of Iron Fist Tournaments. And come to think of it, I remember hearing stories of a Taekwondo master fighting dojo masters in order to ensure that his dojo survived" Feng recalled what he knew about Baek. "So let me ask you, what gives you the right to lecture me when you did the exact same thing?" he asked Baek.

When the Korean man heard that question, anger began taking hold upon him. His thoughts drifted back to the past, when he was in his younger days. He remembered accidentally killing his own father, as well as battling dojo masters until they were almost dead. These memories continued to traumatize the Taekwondo master.

"That's none of your damn business! What I did in the past is my business alone!" Baek snapped, but he was still not giving up talking just yet. "And besides, I've made up for my own mistakes. They were selfish and misguided. But compared to what I did, yours is nothing but pure disgrace" the Korean man pointed out to Feng.

The Kenpo fighter frowned in what he was hearing. For some reason, Baek sounded like his former master, the same master he had personally killed during a duel to the death. Still, this resemblance only encouraged Feng to not take Baek's words to heart.

"And here I thought we would come to a mutual understanding towards one another. Sadly, I was wrong" Feng spoke up and stood in fighting position.

Baek felt slightly distressed with what he was seeing. "What a pain! Can't believe I'm saying this, but this guy's more misguided than Hwoarang, no kidding" he admitted, although he didn't know Feng personally as he did with his student.

Shuwawei got closer to the Taekwondo master's side. "Master Baek, do we have to fight these thugs? We have more pressing matters to concern ourselves with!" the young woman spoke to him. She could notice the fact that Dragunov was fixing his cold gaze upon her.

"It's not like we have much of a choice here, Shuwawei. It's obvious that they won't be letting us pass without a fight. But you're than welcome to figure out an escape route, assuming you even find one that is" Baek told her.

The Korean woman sighed in dispassion. "Always such a downer….." she noted by observing Baek. But as Shuwawei did that, she couldn't help but to notice that King was up to something. The masked luchador had spotted an Isuzu fuel tanker truck being parked to his right.

King, who had been waiting for him and his friends to be forced to walk back by their foes, came up with an idea. The tanker truck could perhaps be useful in order to get rid of Armor King and his cohorts. But would that even work? King was unsure, yet he felt that desperate times called for such measures.

"This may not be enough to shake them off. But I will have to try!" King said as he clenched his strong right hand firmly.

Without warning, the Mexican man unleashed his strength upon the tanker. He literally punched a hole in it, thus making fuel sprout out from it and onto the asphalt. Soon, a pond of fuel was beginning to take shape.

The members of L'ordine backed away in what they were seeing. "What the hell!? What's the big idea!?" Bryan angrily asked as he got away from the pond of fuel.

But the cyborg and his compatriots all ceased their aggressiveness when Marduk held out a lighter in his right hand. The Vale Tudo fighter faced them smugly. "Don't come any closer! Otherwise, I'm gonna throw this lighter at that pond of fuel! And you know what happens then! BOOM!" Marduk was having fun with threatening them.

"You are insane. If you throw that lighter, you will end up blowing up the fuel tanker truck!" Feng exclaimed with what Maduk was planning on doing.

"Oh, shut your ass up! I'll do whatever it takes to protect my friends! So you better do as I say!" Marduk hit back, the Australian man still holding the lighter in his hand as a leverage.

Even the Koreans were astounded by what the Vale Tudo fighter was doing. However, both Baek and Shuwawei realized that they could use this to their advantage. And that meant finding an escape route. The two Taekwondo fighters had taken notice of several scooters being parked nearby. Nodding their heads at one another, they gradually began moving away from Marduk and King.

In the meantime, Amor King was outraged with the situation he was in. Seeing Marduk acting all smug only fueled the anger within him. "Coward! You dare resorting to such dirty tricks!?" the masked luchador roared as he watched the lighter in Marduk's hand.

"Oh, you and your buddies can turn around and leave if you want to. Nobody's forcing you to be here!" Marduk taunted his hated foe. He could notice how Bryan and Dargunov were secretly trying to reach for their weapons. That only convinced the Vale Tudo fighter to take the risk. "But on second thought…I say we turn up the heat! Choke on this, ya lousy bastards!" he exclaimed and threw the lighter at the pond of fuel that had been created.

As a result, the asphalt was set up in flames. The members of L'ordine quickly retreated back into their car, this time Armor King taking the wheels. He made sure that the car was put in reverse and quick.

"What are you waiting for!? We gotta get out before that thing explodes! Put the damn car in reverse!" Bryan snapped, yet Armor King ignored the cyborg as he was more focused on getting themselves out of this mess.

Meanwhile, both King and Marduk knew that the nearby truck would be taken by the fire and explode soon. They backed away as soon as the fire before them starting to burn stronger.

"We better scram! Soon this place is about to explode for real!" Marduk told his best friend.

Yet King was not satisfied with Marduk's suggestion. "All the more reason why perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to set fire on that pond of fuel!" he replied.

Marduk got on the defensive. Hey! It was your idea to begin with! Besides, there was no way a pond of fuel was gonna force them to get off our hides!" the Australia man hit back, only to notice that something was amiss. "And which reminds me, where the hell are those Koreans!?" he wondered aloud.

They were interrupted by the sound of tooting coming from behind. As soon as Marduk and King turned around to see who it was, they could see that Baek and Shuwawei were driving what appeared to be scooters. Beak had taken a grey Honda Forza 250 scooter, while Shuwawei had taken a white Peugeot Metropolis 120. Both muscular fighters were stunned with what they were seeing.

"Hop on! We're getting out of here as soon as we can!" Baek called out to them, the middle-aged man facing King. "King! You're with me!" he told the luchador, who quickly sat up behind him.

That left Shuwawei to have Marduk sitting behind her. The Vale Tudo fighter was grinning cheekily as he hopped on the scooter. "So I get to sit behind you? Nice!" the tall man exclaimed while facing the young woman.

Shuwawei paid no heed to his comments and made sure that the scooter was ready to go. "You better hold on tight, Marduk. We'll be driving fast as if this scooter was a motorcycle" she informed him, much to Marduk's confusion.

Without delay, the two scooters left the spot in an incredible speed. However, it didn't take long before the four fighters could hear a loud explosion coming from behind. That only encouraged them to keep going forward until they were out of this narrow alleyway. As they were driving the scooters, Baek and Shuwawei successfully avoided hitting parked cars, pedestrians or other blockages on the road.

"We're almost out of this alleyway! Get ready! Sooner or later, those guys will be catching up to us!" Baek called out to his friends.

But things were not looking smoothly for the four fighters. Because someone was blocking the road that would eventually lead them out of the alleyway. And it was the members of L'ordine inside their black Mustang GT. In fact, Bryan and Dragunov were seen stretching themselves out of the car's windows, having their weapons ready. This looked troubling.

"Aw shit! Those scumbags made it here before we could!" Marduk cursed out of frustration.

"They really are persistent!" King exclaimed in what he was seeing.

Baek was growing agitated by them being made mouse in this chase. However, he realized that it was also possible to exit this alleyway by either turning left or right. But these exits were small, so they had to take caution. An idea suddenly popped in the Taekwondo master's head and it felt like a smart one in Baek's opinion. He looked over to Shuwawei, who had already begun reading his expression.

"Shuwawei! You and Marduk turn left! Me and King will take right!" Baek told her as their muscular passengers were listening.

King was taken aback by this. "What!? Are you saying that we should split up!? But that sounds ludicrous!" he responded to the Korean man's suggestion.

However, Shuwawei had somehow gotten the picture. "Now, I see. Sounds like a smart idea, Master Baek! If we each go our separate ways, it will certainly leave them confused! Just be careful while you drive, okay?" the young woman called out to him.

Hearing this only made Baek chuckle in return. "Oh, you know I will! You do that too! We'll be seeing you soon!" he replied back.

Neither King nor Marduk had any idea what the Taekwondo fighters had in mind with this. Just as they reached the cross, the two scooters went their separate ways. This confused the members of L'ordine, who didn't know which to pursue.

"Mierda!" Armor King slammed his fist on the steering wheel.

"Those sneaky bastards are going separate ways!" Bryan told his comrades in what he was seeing.

"They are most likely doing this to confuse us. Regardless, we must choose to pursue at least one of them! Who will it be?" Feng spoke up while facing Armor King.

Fortunately for Feng and the others, the masked luchador had already made his decision. He went the same way Shuwawei and Marduk did. That's why he turned right from his standpoint.

"I can deal with that weak-minded fool later! Right now, all I want is to get my hands on that miserable cabron!" Armor King spat as he stomped on the gas pedal. The car was going in a fast speed as a result.

Shuwawei had taken notice of the Mustang GT being on the chase. It filled her with agitation. Still, the Korean woman realized that she would have to speed it up in order to reach the alleyway on the other side of the main road. But she knew such move was risky, especially given how unpredictable the Japanese rush traffic was.

Marduk couldn't help but to gulp in what he was seeing. "Wait a sec! You're not seriously planning on…" the Vale Tudo fighter had to hold on tight as Shuwawei increased the speed.

"Hold on tight, Marduk! I'm gonna do everything in my power to ensure that we reach that alleyway without any collisions!" the Korean woman told her passenger.

Without even thinking, Shuwawei sped in order to reach the other side. Neither she nor Marduk bothered looking out for incoming vehicles. Their main target was that alleyway. Once they were on the main road, the sounds honking from cars and trucks alike could be heard. However, the duo on the Peugeuot scooter kept pushing on. Even so, they narrowly missed crashing into a grey Daihatsu Hijet van that had just turned left in order to enter the alleyway. The driver of the van honked, given that he was upset about Shuwawei driving so dangerous.

Still, it was a relief for Shuwawei and Marduk as they were driving in the alleyway. The Korean beauty let out a sigh of relief. "Woah…that was close!" she exclaimed out of relief.

Marduk whistled in amazement. "I gotta hand it to ya, la…I mean Shuwawei. You really got some skills in driving through narrow alleyways!" the Australian man complimented her.

Hearing this made Shuwawei giggle a little. "Well, I'm experienced in driving motorcycles and scooters, yes. But not necessarily through narrow alleyways. I mean, I've never done that back in Seoul before" the Taekwondo master remarked, looking in the mirror to see whether they were still being chased. So far, the Daihatsu van was still behind them. "Well, it looks like we've lost our pursuers" she expressed her relief.

"Finally! I was wondering whether we would be stuck with them for the entire day. Good thing that we're on a scooter which makes it easier for us to…." Marduk was interrupted by the sound of an explosion coming from behind. It caused both him and Shuwawei to snap in fear.

Shuwawei looked in the mirror while Marduk looked over his shoulder to see what had happened. They were horrified to see that the Daihatsu van had exploded, thus killing the driver inside. However, it was more shocking about who was responsible for this. A black Mustang GT soon drove through the narrow alleyway, thus swapping away the wreckage of the Daihatsu. And hanging out from one of the car's windows was Dragunov with a missile launcher in his hands. He smirked with what he had done.

"Oh my God…...he just blew that van to bits…such cruelty…." Shuwawei noted as she could see the Mustang GT starting to run, hoping to clear the alleyway of the wreckage. In response, Shuwawei sped up, wanting to get out of this alleyway as quick as possible.

"Those rotten bastards! Why are they so hellbent on getting us!?" Marduk couldn't believe in what he was seeing.

Shuwawei didn't have time to answer him, given that she was trying to steer the scooter while avoiding hitting objects. They turned around a corner and passed by a kindergarten before arriving at the end of the alleyway. While there was another one across the main road, Shuwawei had decided to taka different route. So, she turned left and drove on the main road.

"We'll use a different tactic this time. Amor King and the others will first assume that since we're on a scooter, we use the narrow alleyways to escape from them. That's why we will fool them into believing that we have done that" the Korean woman informed Marduk.

The Vale Tudo fighter had to admit he was unsure about this, yet a part of him had confidence in Shuwawei and her driving skills. Therefore, he would put his trust in her.

"Fair enough. Let's just lose those stalkers before we can find Master Beak and King, wherever they may be" the Australian man spoke up.

Shuwawei had to giggle in what she heard him say. "You mean Master Baek. Quite a mispronunciation you just uttered, Craig Marduk" she remarked in amusement, much to the grumbling of her passenger. However, the Taekwondo master soon decided to get tough with Marduk once again. "However, once we're safe, I demand an explanation of this supposed murder you committed in the past. And this time, you're gonna be honest" she firmly told him.

Marduk felt shivers running down his spine when Shuwawei told him that. However, he also realized that she was right. Marduk had not been forthcoming when it came to his past crimes. As much as it pained him to dig it up, the Australian man knew that people would judge him for his past misguided actions. He had his flaws, and one of them had resulted in someone being killed.

"Yeah, I know. And I promise…...I'll tell you everything. As a matter of fact, I could tell you now, if you want to, that is" Marduk informed Shuwawei, who was surprised to hear this.

* * *

 _Along Kamo River, Kyoto, Japan_

Master Raven and Raven had led the fighters through the sewers until they reached Kamo River. They had walked alongside it until they were at Yoshidakawaharacho. It was there where Violet System's HQ was located at. On the way up, the group had made sure they were not being followed by either members of the Resistance or other foes. So far, there were none to be seen. They got up to street level.

"Well, we're almost there! Just a little further" Lei informed the fighters as he helped lead them.

Master Raven directed her serious gaze upon the detective. "From now on, you're not to go outside without supervision. But remember, Interpol has not hired us to be your babysitter" the female ninja pointed out to him.

Lei groaned with annoyance. "Alright. I get it. You don't have to be so pushy towards me. Like I said, I didn't expect Bryan Fury, Feng Wei or even Sergei Dragunov to come for my hide!" the Chinese man hit back.

"You sure you saw him?" Raven asked Lei. "I find it hard to believe that one of Spetsnaz's top officers would be willing to cooperate with others in order to achieve his goals. From what we know, the Russian government has no interest in backing a side in this ongoing global war" the man with sunglasses continued, recalling from what he had read about Dragunov in the files.

Lei couldn't help but to notice something. "Say, the way you speak of him…..it makes me wonder whether you and Dragunov share a history together.

Raven grunted in response. "It's none of your damn business" he replied in a rude manner. From what Lei could tell, the agent seemed to hold a grudge against Dragunov. But for what reason? Raven wanted to change the subject as quick as possible. "Anyway. If there are someone else besides the Zaibatsu that wish to capture Jin, then we have to be more careful from now on. At this rate, we'll be left with few friends to trust" he then told everyone.

Xiaoyu's eyes widened in surprise with what she heard. "Wait! Are you saying that Jin is…with you guys?" the Chinese girl let her curiosity get the best of her.

Master Raven looked at her and nodded. "Correct. However, he is not in a normal condition. As of now, Jin Kazama has been in a coma for a long time, slowly recuperating from his disastrous battle against that creature called Angel. We don't know when he will awake" she told Xiaoyu, yet her eyes remained principled and serious as she was known to have. She could see that Hwoarang and Asuka were also paying attention and from the looks of it, they seemed gleeful over being able to get to fight Jin. Master Raven sighed. "It's no use feeling optimistic about this, children. As I just said, Jin Kazama has been in a coma for a long time. Therefore, you can just forget about getting a match with him" she reprimanded them.

Neither Hwoarang and Asuka took her words kindly. "Geez, you don't have to be such a party-pooper. I was only looking forward to see Jin again" the Korean man pointed out, the young man deciding to look into another direction in order to converse with the agent.

"I've got a bone to pick with him, given that he has tarnished the Kazama clan's reputation! No way some coma is gonna stop me from coming at him!" Asuka expressed her desire to punch Jin for what he had done to the world.

Xiaoyu couldn't stand hearing the words from Asuka. So she turned around and directly faced the Japanese girl. "How the hell can you say such things!? Wanting to fight someone who's in a coma!? Do you even realize how delusional you sound right now!?" she didn't hold back in roasting Asuka.

But Asuka stood her ground. "You're the one who's delusional here! I'm not the one falling for a mass murderer!" Asuka rebuked the Chinese girl, who only got furious.

"Hey look! I see someone over there!" Bob called out as he pointed his finger to the tall skyscraper not far from the group's location.

Julia adjusted her glasses in order to get a better view. The young brunette smiled in relief. "Ah! We're finally there! That's Violet System's HQ!" she exclaimed happily.

Michelle also got to see three people standing outside the HQ's entrance. The Native American woman immediately recognized one of them. "I see three people standing there! That white-haired man dressed in those fancy clothes must be Lee Chaolan!" she remarked, recalling knowing that man from the first tournaments.

Lili couldn't help but to smile. "Then I suppose we best get over there and greet ourselves. It appears that they have been expecting us" the rich girl suggested to her friends and none of them had any objections.

And so, the group headed towards the entrance of the skyscraper. When they arrived, they were received warmly by Lee. He was more than happy to welcome them.

"Welcome to Violet Systems, my friends! I trust that the journey to Kyoto went smoothly" Lee welcomed them before turning his attention to both Lei and the two agents. "I must say, this is quite a group you have gathered here. Is there any reason why?" he questioned them smugly.

While none of the agents responded, Lei only crossed his arms while looking away. "Tch, showoff" the detective muttered beneath his breath.

Both Julia and Michelle approached Lee, with Julia feeling so delighted to see the business tycoon once again. "Mr. Lee! It's so great to see you!" Julia expressed her happiness.

Lee nodded his head as a yes in return. "Likewise, Mrs. Julia Chang. So glad that you could come visit. I haven't seen you since the previous tournament" he remarked before taking notice of the middle-aged woman standing beside Julia. This made Lee puzzled. "Wait…do I know you from somewhere, madam?" he gently asked Michelle.

Michelle had to giggle in seeing Lee's gentleman-like persona come to light. "I see that you haven't changed much since the last time we saw each other, Lee Chaolan. Still the same charming womanizer as you've always been" she remarked.

Hearing that voice suddenly made Lee realize who that woman was. "Why, of course! You're Mrs. Michelle Chang! What a surprise in seeing you here! Goodness, how long as it been since the last time I saw you?" he said while reaching out a hand towards Michelle. She gladly took it and so they shook hands. "I can barely remember our last meeting, but I believe it must've been during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2" he then recalled back some fond memories.

"Yes. It has been a long time, indeed. I've been stuck in Arizona in order to focus on important matters related to our tribe" Michelle answered before facing Julia. "But I do understand that you have in the past supported Julia's research financially. That must be why she is positive towards you" she then remarked.

This made Lee realize something. "Now that reminds me, are you feeling okay, Julia? That mission to took on my behalf was a risky one. I will admit that I haven't been able to apologize for what I put you through when working for me undercover in the G Corporation" he recalled to what had happened with Julia during the previous tournament.

In response to this, the four-eyed girl only waved her hand whimsically. "No need to apologize, Mr. Lee. It was I who willingly wanted to infiltrate the G Corp in order to find out what they were planning doing. And luckily, I was saved by your friends" she said while addressing both Lars and Alisa. "It's good to see you once again, sir" she told the Swedish man.

"Likewise, Julia Chang" Lars replied.

Meanwhile, Xiaoyu was in a conversation with Alisa. They had met during the previous tournament, when Xiaoyu had wanted to find out Jin's location. Alisa could recall their previous encounter and she knew that the Chinese girl missed Jin. That's why the android felt it was only natural that Xiaoyu was told about Jin's location. But Alisa was surprised when Xiaoyu had already found out.

"So you know about our secret? Including the fact that we're shielding…" Alisa was interrupted by Xiaoyu speaking.

"No use in explaining the details, Alisa. Those two agents told us everything along the way. But I know that he's currently in a coma…" Xiaoyu spoke up, soon hanging her head in sadness.

Alisa expressed concern for her friend. "Xiaoyu…" she uttered out her name.

Suddenly, Lee was confronted by Hwoarang and Asuka. From what he could tell, they wanted something from him. Still, he faced them in a smug manner. "Is there bothering you, kids?" he kindly asked them.

Hwoarang got up to his face. "Don't give us that bullshit! Now spit it out! Is it true what the agents say? Are you harboring Jin Kazama!?" the Korean man spoke up.

But both Xiaoyu and Julia tried their best to shut Hwoarang up, both girls infuriated by how he could ask something like that out in the open….not to mention how loud he was.

"Damnit, Hwoarang! Can't you shut up for a second!?" Xiaoyu snapped at him.

"Yeah! We can't risk getting ourselves compromised!" Julia joined in on berating the Taekwondo fighter.

Lars, realizing how potentially dangerous it was to be standing outside, encouraged everyone to follow him. "All of you come inside with us. We can't stay out here for much longer" he told them and they all obeyed without any objections.

The group soon found themselves in the lobby and Lei quickly took a seat on one of the many couches. He let out a deep sigh of relief, feeling himself exhausted.

"Whoa…..you DO get tired after being on the run from pursuers" the detective noted, soon being joined by Bob, Steve and Ganryu. He started conversing with Steve. "So, did you find anything interesting while in the tournament?" he asked the British boxer.

Steve couldn't help but to remember the encounter he had been having with his birth mother. Thinking about it made things awkward for him. While he couldn't bring himself to lie, Steve felt like his personal issues were something he would have to keep to himself.

"No. Nothing to report. Except for almost getting killed by that bastard Heihachi's schemes" he informed Lei.

"Yeah, I heard rumors about what he had the Tekken Force do in order to call off the tournament. He was trying to have you killed in the hotel you were staying at" Lei spoke up, unable to believe such things. "I swear, that old man keeps getting more delusional than ever. Hard to believe that the entire world is hero-worshipping him now" the detective then remarked.

Steve nodded his head at him. "Agreed. I see how messed up that is" the British man said.

Meanwhile, the two agents were being filled on the new "recruits" Lee and Lars had taken in. The business tycoon was more than happy to explain who they were. Xiaoyu and the others were listening to this conversation as well.

"So she came? You actually managed to sway that former Tekken Force member to your side?" Master Raven asked Lars.

"Correct. You and I both know that Josie Rizal didn't deserve to be betrayed by Heihachi like that. Rest assured, she will be a valuable asset to Yggdrasil. But I will admit that she comes across as a clumsy girl sometimes" Lars answered while voicing his opinion of Joise.

Raven had his arms crossed as he listened to Lars' intel. "And who was she with?" he asked both Lars and Lee.

This time, Alisa stepped forward to answer. "Based upon what she told us, this man was not necessarily accompanying her. But he was an acquaintance" the pinkette told them. "His name is Miguel Caballero Rojo. And he came from Spain based upon what he told us" Alisa continued.

When Xiaoyu heard that name, she snapped. "Hold on a second! Did you say…...Miguel?" she asked Alisa, who weakly nodded her head in reply. "Was he a tall guy with messy, brown hair and spoke with a rude language?" the Chinese girl then asked her.

Lee had to chuckle in what he was hearing. "Goodness. It would appear that you seem to know his individual well. Have you fallen for his looks, perhaps?" he teasingly questioned Xioayu.

"No way! You're taking this way out of context!" Xiaoyu spoke up before facing Ganryu, who was surprised by this look he was given. "You there! You know who I'm talking about, right? You fought alongside him!" the Chinese girl snapped at him.

The Sumo wrestler was confused by Xiaoyu's behavior. "What are you getting so worked up for?" he wondered while raising one of his robust eyebrows.

Hwoarang seemed to recall who Xiaoyu was speaking about. "Come to think of it, I know that Spanish dude as well. From what I can remember, he seems to consider Jin Kazama as his rival or something. But I'm not sure about whether they've even met" the Korean man spoke up.

Lee faced Alisa and Lars. "I take it both Josie and Miguel are at my quarters, correct?" he asked them.

"Yes. They both said they would rest a little. We should go and see how they are doing" Lars suggested and his friends agreed.

* * *

 _Inside a room in Violet System's medical facility_

Inside a medical facilitation room high in the skyscraper, Jin Kazama laid there in a coma. While he was breathing, the Japanese man had not awoken, let alone move a muscle. How long he would have to stay in this condition, remained unanswered so far. Not even Violet System's medics could predict such. Therefore, Jin would wake up whenever he would. Everything around him was silent, except for the machines that kept making beeping noises.

However, Jin would unexpectedly by visited by someone whom he had taken away from. It was a man, who had, since the death of his sister and future brother-in-law, been pursuing Jin for vengeance. This man would not rest until he watched the Kazama die.

It was Miguel. While Josie, Lee, Lars and Alisa had been busy figuring out their own, Miguel had secretcly been snooping around in order to find clues about where Jin was behind held. And given that nobody was guarding the medical facilitation room, the Spaniard got easy access to it. However, many emotions invaded his head once he got a look at the man he hated.

So far, Miguel had only stood still by the hospital bed, watching Jin Kazama lying there in a coma. The very sight of him filled Miguel with rage and hatred.

"Malditos bastardos…they WERE hiding you! And the entire world doesn't even know this!" Miguel spoke up, scowling as he continued to watch Jin, speaking to him as he could hear Miguel. He fists clenched tightly. "You took everything from me that day! My brother-in-law….and worst all….my light in the darkness: my younger sister!" the Spaniard continued expressing his bitter rage towards the unconscious man.

Slowly, he took steps towards the bed, one by one. Right now, a thirst for vengeance had taken over Miguel's mind. All those desires to see Jin die…was finally becoming a reality. And now, the aggressive Spaniard would not be denied his right to avenge his sister.

"For all the hell you put me through! Bombing the church where my sister's wedding took place…I will make sure that you are put out of your misery as if you're nothing!" Miguel couldn't control himself. He put his left hand behind Jin's neck, making sure that he was having a good aim. Miguel's other hand clenched tightly. He was now planning on punching a hole on Jin's face, no matter how brutal it was. "An opportunity like this will never present itself again! So I'm going to end this, here and now!" the angry thoughts dominated Miguel's mind.

As he was ready to deliver the blow, Miguel couldn't help but to stare at Jin's face. This only fueled the rage burning inside him. At this rate, Miguel didn't care whether his hated enemy was in a coma or not. All that he desired was revenge. Nothing else could possibly sway him. Until…

"I also want to kill him" a soft-spoken voice interrupted Miguel. He looked to his left and saw several people standing there. It was Lars, Alisa, Lee, Asuka, Xiaoyu, Lili, Hwoarang, Steve and Josie. Somehow, they had all appeared behind Miguel while he had been busy receiving these angry feelings. Apparently, Lars had been the one to speak up.

Miguel still stood as if he was preparing to kill Jin, yet he was furious with what he was seeing. "What do you folladores want? Leave me alone" he calmly, yet angrily told them.

Xiaoyu, who despite being upset with what she was seeing, remained surprisingly calm when seeing the Spaniard being on the verge of killing her crush. "We're not going anywhere as long as you're in this room!" the Chinese girl hit responded firmly.

"Yeah! You think I'll let you kill the man I wanna have a rematch with!? Get real!" Hwoarang spoke up, the Korean man also not being willing to let Miguel do as he pleases.

Lili couldn't help but to feel a little sorry for Jin, despite how much she disliked him. "While I do have zero love for that man and his family, I must say that killing a man while he's in a coma is a very disgraceful thing to do" the rich girl pointed out to him.

But Miguel was having enough. "Vete a la mierda! Don't speak as if you know about me or my pain!" the Spaniard cursed, still not letting go of Jin. But as he was getting angrier, some small streams of tears could be seen running from his narrowed eyes. "You have no idea of what Jin Kazama did to ruin my life! During my sister's wedding…...the Tekken Force launched an air raid across Spain. And one of their many victims during that campaign…...was my sister! She was bombed in the church as if she was nothing! That's why I swore to myself: I would not rest until this bastardo lied six feet under the ground!" Miguel started expressing his shattered heart.

The fighters standing before him were somewhat horrified by what they were hearing. Even Alisa was growing concerned for Miguel giving into this rage. But then again, she knew this was all part of being a human. However, Lars and Lee seemed to be the only one who remained calm in face of this ranting.

"Like I said earlier, I also want to kill Jin. Having previously served in the Tekken Force, I have witnessed the countless loss of innocent human lives. But Jin is the key to ending this global war. That's why we need him alive….for now" Lars explained to him.

But Miguel was not swayed by such words. "Mentiras! You're no better than the Mishima Zaibatsu! How the fuck do you suppose that this bastardo can put an end to this war!? He is not worth shit! As is his family! They're all a bunch of heartless fuckers!" the Spaniard didn't hold back his rage.

"I will agree that the plan sounds unrealistic" Lee spoke up, still acting gentle towards Miguel. "But we can assure you that we are not choosing to keep Jin alive because of pity. We do recognize all the crimes he has committed. They are difficult for forgive. But for the sake of this world…..Jin must be kept alive so that he himself can end it. Please understand this, sir" Lee tried to ease the pain within Miguel.

"Then you're all just a pathetic bunch of cowards! By doing this, you're all choosing to spit upon the graves of this war's victims, including that of my sister!" Miguel hit back, once again turning his attention to the unconscious man lying on the bed. "If none of you wants justice, then I will do it myself! I don't need anyone's help in telling me what's right!" he declared while clenching his right hand.

Still, none of the fighters made a move to stop Jin. Lars however, stepped forward. This time, he wanted to get more serious with Miguel. He was no psychologist, but Lars had to convince Miguel to fight back his rage.

"The let me ask you this, Miguel Caballero Rojo. If you kill Jin now, do you really think this will bring your sister back? Deep down, you know that it won't. You must overcome your anger and see what's most important" Lars spoke up, his eyes never leaving sight of Miguel. "I may not have known your sister, but I believe that she would be horrified if she found out about you becoming a killer. Is that what you wish to become? Do you want to be remembered as just another killer? Another Jin Kazama?" the Swedish man got more direct when asking those questions.

But Miguel couldn't take it anymore. Yelling out in anger, he moved his right fist towards Jin's face. Everyone was shocked, wondering what was even happening. After a few moments of silence, Lars, Xiaoyu and the others realized that Miguel had not done it. His fist had punched a hole in the pillow instead of Jin's face. But it was close! What had happened? Had Miguel missed his punch?

The aggressive Spaniard continued facing the man he hated uttermost as he slowly pulled his fist out of the hole in the pillow. Miguel continued to look at Jin, still bearing nothing but hatred towards him. The others couldn't help but to imagine what he was thinking as he looked at Jin.

"I will make you pay someday…but not like this. No…...you haven't suffered enough to deserve death! You're not even worth my time at this point! The only thing you're worth is nothing but shit! So, I'll wait until you are at the happiest in your life! Then I will skullfuck you and throw your ass down a ravine!" Miguel still spoke to Jin as if he could hear him. But those harsh words didn't last long. He soon began turning his attention towards the group of fighters. Miguel was still angry and resentful. He specifically faced Lars. "You want this this fucker so much? Fine, you can keep him! But you can count me out of this meaningless resistance movement of yours! I don't wanna waste my time fighting for lost causes or bullshit values! And mark my words. Should Jin Kazama ever again kill more innocents…then it will be his last motherfucking day standing, I promise you that! So don't try to make me stay here in this fucked-up building! I'm my own boss, so nobody controls me! And do yourselves a favor and stay away from me!" he yelled and angrily exited the room.

Josie, who couldn't help but to want and console him, was held back by Lee. The Filipina looked at him and Lee was seen shocking his head at her.

"Just let him go, madam. He has openly stated that he wants nothing to do with us. All that we can do is to respect his decision. It appears that Miguel has done what he came here for. What he does next….is up to him now" Lee explained to Josie.

 _To be continued…_


	30. Retribution from Below

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 30: Retribution from Below**

 _Inside Violet Systems HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

A dramatic episode had taken place in the Violet System's medical facilitation room where Jin Kazama was recuperating. Miguel Caballero Rojo had almost succeeded in killing Jin. But he was interrupted by the appearance of Lars Alexandersson, Lee Chaolan and other people who had come to see Jin. As Lars tried to convince Miguel to spare Jin, the Spaniard had been in an emotional battle over whether to give in to his anger or not. But at the end of the day, and to everyone's surprise, Miguel chose not to kill Jin. However, that did NOT mean Miguel had forgiven the Japanese man for the death of his sister. Afterwards, Miguel stormed off the medical facilitation room. He told everyone how he was not interested in joining this resistance movement Lee and Lars was forming. They understood it and therefore chose not to make Miguel change his mind.

But now that the angry bull was out of the room, those who had come to get a look at Jin was able to do so without any worries of someone trying to kill him. But for some reason, Josie had left the room, probably due to the fact she wanted to make sure that Miguel was not doing anything to compromise the resistance movement's operations. In the meantime, Julia and Michelle had entered and they were able to get a close look at Jin.

Lee let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness that Mr. Miguel didn't finish off Jin. But I wonder whether he would actually have died of something such as this" he noted, speaking with Lars.

"Impossible to say. But I could tell that he was in an emotional battle. Miguel was struggling to suppress his rage. But in the end, he succeeded. You have to admit that it was admirable" the Swedish man replied, thinking about Miguel. "But still, this doesn't mean that Jin is forgiven. He brought down many innocent lives all or the sake of ending Azazel. When he wakes up, I'll make sure that he repents for his actions" Lars then assured his friend.

Hearing this made Lee chuckling in amusement. "Yes, Lars. I am confident that you will" he responded.

There were different reactions to seeing the former leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu lying there in a coma. Xiaoyu, despite being relieved to see Jin again, was filled with sadness over seeing the man she secretly loved lying in this state. It was just too hard for her to watch.

"Jin…" Xiaoyu uttered out his name as she stood and watched him. "How long must this go on?" she then wondered, thinking about the times Jin has disappeared from her, time to time.

So far, her friends hadn't said anything about Jin. But Julia did engage in a conversation with Lee and Lars. "So, you're not sure when he will wake up?" Julia asked them.

"Unfortunately, yes. But our medics DO claim that Jin will need to recuperate for several days before he can awaken. And given how they are the medical experts, we will have to trust their judgement" Lee responded.

Julia nodded her head in return. "I see. Then I guess we'll begin planning our move while we wait for him" she told Lee before turning to face Lars. "Now, Mr. Lars. You said that Yggdrasil lacked the ability to spread its word throughout the world, yes? Well, I might just have the solution for you" the brunette said to Lars, who was surprised to hear this.

"Is that so? Well, I'm listening. What do you have to contribute?" Lars wanted to know more from Julia, feeling that she could prove useful.

The four-eyed girl quickly pulled out a tablet computer from her backpack and started showing the Swedish man what she was talking about. "Recently, I've become a streamer with regards to the reforestation project I've been working on. It's called GENOCELL. However, what I'm saying is that you guys are more than welcome to use my videos to spread your message…you know, in secrecy" Julia pointed out while showing this on her website.

Lars had to admit he was interested in what he was observing on the tablet computer. "I see. Well, it would be nice to have someone who's got at social media on our side. And you are perhaps this person we need" he responded, yet Lars was not done speaking. "But you must tread carefully when you post these messages. Our enemies have eyes and ears even on the Internet" he then advised her.

"Oh, I know that. And trust me, I'm not a social media celebrity or something like that. My work's pretty humble and simple compared to what they post on the Internet" Julia assured him.

Michelle had to facepalm in hearing those words coming out of her adoptive daughter's mouth. "Can you be sure, Julia? Because if I recall correctly, some commenters on the videos you've posted say that you looked awfully similar to a certain wrestler in terms of physique" she pointed out to her.

Julia moped in return. "Not again, mom. That episode's over. Besides, nobody can prove that I am Jaycee. They have no evidence. And they can't tell by just looking the way I dress now" the brunette replied, remembering her reason for becoming an internet streamer. It was all because of her desire to move away from her luchadora alter ego: Jaycee.

"Fair enough. I just hope you know what you are doing" Michelle responded to Julia's assumption. But the Native American woman wanted to have confidence in her adoptive daughter's social media abilities.

Meanwhile, Alisa could see the pain Xiaoyu was feeling as she stood near Jin's unconscious body. Feeling that she should at least try to ease her sadness, Alisa decided to give some words of encouragement to Xiaoyu. Hopefully, it would be enough to lift her spirits.

"Don't worry. He will awake from this coma. I'm sure of it" Alisa lowly mumbled some words as she stood by Xiaoyu.

The Chinese girl didn't turn to face Alisa, yet she did answer her. "That's easier said than done. At this rate, I'm worried that he may not make out of it" Xiaoyu answered, sounding bitter in the process. However, Xiaoyu let out a deep sigh. "But no matter how painful it is for me to watch this, I'll have to remain strong. I'm not giving up hope just yet" she then added.

Alisa was surprised to hear this coming out from Xiaoyu. But the pinkette couldn't help but to admire the young girl's willpower. "My files were correct. You really are stubborn when it comes to getting Jin's attention" she noted to herself, yet Xiaoyu was not listening. This only convinced Alisa to stop conversing with Xiaoyu. Instead, the android looked around to see how Jin's other "friends" were doing.

Lili fixed a smug smile on Asuka, something the Japanese brunette took notice of. That expression only irritated Asuka. "What's with that look on your face?" she sternly questioned Lili.

"Oh, it's nothing, really. But I was under the impression that you wanted to make Jin pay for desecrating your family name. You said that no coma would prevent you from getting him, is that correct? Well, now's your chance" Lili pointed out, finding it odd why Asuka was behaving this way now that Jin was right before their eyes.

Asuka crossed her arms and looked away with a huff. "Shut it, Lili! I'm not gonna do something just to make you happy. I'm not your butler!" she reprimanded Lili before taking her angry glance at Jin. "Yes, I do wanna kick his ass for what he has done, but I'm not someone who picks fights with opponents when they're in conditions like this. Once he's awakened from this coma, I'm gonna have a few words with him, Kazama to Kazama" the Japanese brunette then added to what she would do with Jin.

Still, Lili felt amused in hearing this. "Ah, how amusing this is. I feel there is a family drama coming up! I can't wait to see how this unfolds" she sassily pointed out, almost starting to sound like a typical gossiper.

Asuka facepalmed in seeing this. "Sometimes, I regret ever winning against you when we first fought. If I had let you won that day, you probably would've have stopped stalking me" she thought, realizing how bothersome Lili could be.

Hwoarang had overheard Asuka's plans for Jin, and he was not happy to say at least. "Hey! Just so we're clear, I'm the one who's gonna fight Jin. So you can forget about ever having a cousinly talk or whatever" the young Korean told Asuka, much to her outrage.

"For the last time, he's not my freaking cousin! Geez, you're such a huge pain in my neck!" Asuka hit back, starting to feel annoyed with people thinking of her as Jin's sister or cousin. True, they were technically related to one another, but not as close as people thought. They were distant relatives.

Xiaoyu had been listening to what Asuka and Hwoarang had wanted to do with Jin, yet she didn't possess enough willpower to confront them. She had done that before and it had only resulted in her own emotions getting the best of her. Xiaoyu was therefore keen to not repeat the same mistake. But on the other hand, the Chinese girl was surprisingly feeling calm on the inside. No longer would she be distressed over ever losing sight of Jin once again. But Xiaoyu knew that as his friend, she would need to directly confront him about the crimes he committed. Something had prevented her from doing that the last time they met.

"Jin…I still care for you…...but that doesn't mean I forgive the atrocities you have brought to this world…...you still have a lot to answer for…..." Xiaoyu admitted as she kept observing the unconscious man. She remembered how her good friend Miharu Hirano had encouraged her to not only stop Jin, but also to not let Xiaoyu's feelings for him cloud her judgement. The Chinese girl was more than happy to accept this advice. She would do this for Miharu and Panda.

Meanwhile, Steve simply stood and watched as his friends were all focused on pondering out their plans for Jin. Still, the British boxer paid no heed. As much as it tempted him to get back at Jin for making him unemployed in the boxing ring, Steve was able to set aside his distaste for the Japanese man. More importantly, he has been having bigger things to think about rather than pursuing blind vengeance against a man he barely even knew.

"Excuse me, Mr. Steve Fox" Steve was interrupted by the gentle voice coming from Lars. The Swedish man was facing him with a gentle expression. "I was just wondering if you would like to have a little talk with me, one on one. Trust me, I'm not trying to trick or anything" Lars then told him.

Steve was surprised to hear what Lars was telling him. "What…...I mean, your offer is appreciated and all…...but I don't understand why you want that. We don't know each other" he answered in a polite manner.

Lars nodded his head in agreement. "You're correct. We both do that" the Swedish man said before he leaned closer in order to whisper something in Steve's ear. "But I have a feeling that we may have more in common than what you may realize. It's about our ties to the Mishimas" Lars suddenly revealed.

The blonde-haired man's eyes widened in realization. Did Lars also know about Steve's new power? Steve didn't know how to react to this. But then again, Lei or the two agents must've told him something. Silently cursing those three individuals, Steve nodded his head at Lars.

"Very well. I'm more than happy to talk with ya. Where do we go?" Steve asked before seeing Lars taking off.

"Follow me. I know just the place" Lars responded and the British boxer followed him without objections.

Lee smiled as he saw Lars walk past him with Steve in tow. They exchanged nods before the Swedish man continued leading Steve out of the room. "Excellent. You may use my office for as long as you please" he remarked smugly as he watched them leave.

Both Julia and Michelle had gone over to study Jin's condition. The middle-aged woman couldn't believe how similar this young man was to Kazuya in terms of appearance. "I swear, Jin almost looks as if he was Kazuya during his younger years. I mean, he has both Kazuya's eyebrows and spikey hairstyle, not to mention his muscular build, that is" Michelle remarked as she observed Jin. But something else hit in her heard, and it was a reminder. "But I know that he's also the son of Jun Kazama, a good friend of mine…...it's unbelievable…" Michelle added.

"You knew that woman from the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, correct?" Julia asked her, to which Michelle nodded.

"At that time, Jun was on a mission to pursue and arrest Kazuya for the crimes he committed during his leadership in the Mishima Zaibatsu. Sadly, I don't really know what else happened between the two of them when they fought. Did they fall in love or something? Either way, I haven't seen nor spoken to Jun since the second tournament" Michelle explained how she met Jun back in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2.

Julia was listening to her adoptive mother's story with interest. "You don't say. But as you already know, Kazuya has fully embraced the power of the Devil Gene. His lust for it has already consumed him. That's why it's too late to save Kazuya" the brunette spoke up before taking a glance at Jin. "But with Jin, it's different. He may have done things that makes him no better than the Mishimas, but I know there is still good inside him. Furthermore, he's fighting an inner battle against his demon. And he's losing it. That's part of the reason he has my pity" she revealed, revealing how she knew a lot about Jin.

Michelle was slightly confused, yet she tried to understand what her adoptive daughter had in mind for Jin. "So what you are telling me, is that you want to help him find another way to end this "curse" of his?" the Native American woman asked Julia. Based upon her expression, Michelle could tell that she really meant it. "I understand. But say, Julia…you don't happen to have…...a crush on him, would you?" she then asked Julia.

The four-eyed girl angrily faced Michelle in outrage. "No way! What in the world gives you that idea!?" she retorted, unable to fathom what her adoptive mother was doing in coming up with such suggestions.

In response, Michelle smiled at her smugly. "Hah! Serves your right for suggesting that I had a crush on Kazuya!" she said while chuckling.

Julia adjusted her glasses while being dumbfounded at her mother's jab. "But didn't you say something about him being handsome when he was younger?" she pointed out.

This time, it was Michelle's turn to get upset. "Hey! I did NOT say that!" the Native American woman denied it, although she was lying a little. Still, Julia knew how to get under her adoptive mother's skin, just as she knew how to get under Julia's.

After walking through corridors, Lars led Steve to Lee's office. There was nobody in there, so they would have it all to themselves. But Steve remained skeptical about having this talk with a man he didn't know much about. Once the door was closed, Lars faced the British man with a smile.

"Forgive me if this sound too much secretive, but I've taken you here so that we can have a conversation about our so-called "similarities", if you not know what I mean" Lars revealed to Steve.

"Okay. But could you please be more specific with these "similarities"? My head's starting to spin around in circles" Steve responded, still not getting what Lars was talking about.

"Very well. I will demonstrate" Lars said and he stood in his fighting stance. But all of a sudden, purple electricity began forming around his arms. This only surprised Steve to the fullest. Lars soon stopped doing this performance, yet he had already left the British man speechless. "Now then. What do you say?" Lars then told Steve.

"Who ARE you?" Steve asked, still having difficulties in coming to terms with the fact that both he and Lars were capable of doing the same thing.

Realizing that the time was now, Lars had decided to reveal his true identity to Steve. "My name's Lars Alexandersson. As you already may know, I once served in the Tekken Force until I rebelled and formed my own resistance movement with my squadron. But I'm more than that" the Swedish man said, putting his right hand onto his armored chest. "While I may not look like it, I am a Mishima by blood. You see, I'm the illegitimate son of Heihachi Mishima" Lars then revealed to the young man.

Steve gasped. Did he hear him right? The man standing before him was not just a Mishima, but the illegitimate son of Heihachi as well. "Oh my God…you're that old goat's son? But how? I mean…...you look so young…way too young if you ask me…" the blonde-haired man was on the verge of falling onto his knees. He simply couldn't take this revelation.

Lars was expecting Steve's reaction. After all, the young boxer was not the first one to be stunned in hearing about Lars' relation to the Mishima clan. "I know. It's very unexpected. But at some point, Heihachi had a brief relationship with a Swedish woman. It was during a Tekken Force mission in Scandinavia. Truth be told, I know little about this relationship. But it was through that relationship…I was conceived" he revealed to Steve, who couldn't believe his ears.

"Woah…unbelievable. I knew that Heihachi was a selfish scumbag, but I never realized that he was such a sperm-donor" Steve remarked, yet he quickly regretted his use of words. "Oh God, I'm terribly sorry for what I just said. I meant no disrespect to you, of course" he apologized, fearing that he may have hurt Lars' feelings.

"It's okay. You don't need to apologize. As a matter of fact, I agree with you on the kind of man Heihachi is. And I bear no love towards him, given the hardships he caused to my mother" Lars tried to assure Steve that he was not at fault. The Swedish man got slightly more personal as he reflected on his background. "While I may carry their blood within me, I will never consider myself a Mishima. I owe them nothing" he said, scowling when he mentioned his paternal family.

Steve couldn't help but to feel sorry for Lars. But on the other hand, he was impressed with how determined Lars actually was to keep fighting against the Mishima Zaibatsu. "I feel your pain, mate. Truth be told, I also don't know where I truly belong. The only parent that I have found the identity of is my mother. You may have heard of her: Nina Williams" he informed Lars, who was surprised.

"Nina Williams, the assassin?" Lars asked to which Steve nodded his head as a yes. Lars' expression softened. "I see. That would explain how you have her hair and eyes. But how could she even give birth while being in cryosleep?" he wondered.

"That's what I've been wondering for the past few days since I "met" my mother. She claims to now know much about me, but I didn't believe her. It pisses me off how she can treat me as if I'm not her son. But then again, I was born a test subject, so she probably never knew about me" Steve spoke up, remembering how his encounter with Nina had ended.

Lars nodded his head in understanding. "Yes. I can see how that affects you. It appears that Nina will have to realize how important it is that you and her cooperate to find more clues about you" he told Steve in encouragement.

"I'm certainly up for it, but my "mother" will probably refuse. After all, she was once Jin Kazama's most trusted bodyguard" Steve said, only to be given a reminder about why he had been taken to this office to speak with Lars. "Now that reminds me, you may already know that I can do the same thing you and the Mishimas can, right? Well, let me show you how" Steve stood in his fighting position, concentrating his inner energy on his arms. He had taken off his hooded jacket in order to make sure Lars was given a good view.

The Swedish man watched in amazement as Steve channeled yellow electricity in his arms. He was surprised to see such up close and personal.

"Amazing…...and you say you've only been having this power for just a short time?" Lars questioned Steve.

"Indeed. It happened while I was training. I began felling pain in my left arm. It reminded me about my earliest years as a lab rat in a Zaibatsu laboratory. But after experiencing the worst of the pain, I suddenly found myself being able to use this power" Steve explained to how it all went. But he suddenly found himself in deep thought. "And that has only led me to ask myself this: Am I in some ways connected to the Mishimas? If so…...then who's my father?" he lowly asked as he faced the floor with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

But Steve suddenly felt a hand on his right shoulder. It was from Lars, the spikey-haired man facing him with an encouraging smile. For some reason, it lifted Steve's spirit, as well as giving him some form of self-esteem.

"You're not alone in this, Steve. I too was once lost in my mind. But with enough encouragement and help of great friends, I managed to find where I truly belonged. Allow me to give you the opportunity" Lars insisted before making sure that nobody was nearby. "Here in Violet Systems' HQ, there is a facilitation room that can pinpoint the DNA of your parents. And given that you have this power of yours, you may be able to find out where you have received it from" he then revealed to Steve.

"Alright. I will take a look and see for myself. But just one question, and it may sound ridiculous. However, I really feel like asking you just this once" Steve revealed and Lars assure him that he was ready to listen. "Could it be possible that my father is…Heihachi?" Steve then asked.

"While we can't rule that out, it sound very farfetched. I do find it hard to believe why Heihachi would give away his genes so willingly" the Swedish man answered. "From what I understand, I know that he was control of many genes and blood samples from certain individuals when he reclaimed control of the Mishima Zaibatsu from his son Kazuya. Apparently, he was determined to learn more about the Devil Gene and find a way to oppose it. But perhaps you will find out more about your past sooner than you think" he then told him before exiting the office, leaving Steve by himself.

As Steve stood alone in the office, the British boxer held onto his scarred arm, watching as how it stretched almost to his hand. Seeing that scar was only a grim reminder of his past as a test subject. But on another note, it only encouraged him to seek out the truth of his birth. Who is his biological father?

"I may not gonna like finding out the answer. But I just need to…...for my own sake" Steve said before he exited the officer and went away.

* * *

 _Near Kyoto Tower, Kyoto, Japan_

Having travelled to Kyoto via the shinkansen, Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen, Eddy Gordo, Christie Monteiro and Katarina Alves had arrived at their destination. They had left Tokyo in hopes of finding the mysterious place called the "Shadow Coliseum". They had nothing else to do, so it was only natural for them to go find this place.

But as they were passing by Kyoto Tower, the group was having trouble with finding the right way. None of the fighters had any idea where to find the Shadow Coliseum.

"Argh, this is just great!" Paul exclaimed as he threw his hands up in the air. "We're in the middle of Kyoto, yet we don't have a clue about where this Shadow Coliseum is!" he added.

Marshall tried to calm him down. "Paul! Don't make a scene like this! It's freaking embarrassing!" he scolded his best friend while trying to make Paul stop clowning around.

Eddy glared at the Judo fighter in dispassion. "How can you not know where it is? Didn't those thugs you beat up tell you where to specifically find it?" the Brazilian man questioned him, yet Eddy could see Paul currently being busy in his own world. The Capoeira fighter shook his head in disbelief. "You're just ridiculous. Completely ridiculous" he added.

Christie stepped forward to her closer friend. "But Eddy, I thought you said that we weren't gonna accompany them to the Shadow Coliseum. So what does that have to do with us?" she asked him.

"I was simply expressing my opinion of his stupidity, nothing more" Eddy replied to Christie.

However, Paul had overheard the insults and he didn't take kindly to them. "Hey! You do know that I can hear your clearly, right?" he rudely pointed out to Eddy, who simply responded by scoffing at him. This only irritated Paul further. "Tch…...asswipe" he insulted Eddy.

Leo, who was having enough with seeing her comrades' bicker, decided to step in and end this childish charade. "Alright! That's enough. There's no sense in standing here and badmouth each over absolutely nothing" the blonde-haired girl told both Eddy and Paul. She then focused her attention on the Judo fighter. "Listen. If you don't know where to find the Shadow Coliseum, then why not just ask the locals here? I'm sure they have to know something" Leo then suggested.

"I don't think that normal and hard-working citizens of Kyoto would know that. Hell, I doubt they've even heard of the Shadow Coliseum at all. But at least it's a start" Marshall interjected, unsure about how people in Kyoto would know about the location of this place.

Eddy didn't feel like wasting time standing with these people anymore. Therefore, he decided to take his leave. "This is just pointless. Christie. Katarina. Let's go" he told the two ladies.

Katarina smirked in how Eddy was willing to just go away so quickly. "Aww, why are you such a quitter? Don't you wanna at least see how the Shadow Coliseum looks like?" the woman with the sunglasses teasingly asked the Capoeira fighter.

Hearing this filled Eddy with irritation. "Just stop with the teasing. I'm in no mood to be poked right now" Eddy told Katarina, who was not keen on ending the teasing.

But as they were standing, they could suddenly hear the loud noise of cheering and chanting coming from around the corner. The group of fighters looked to see an entire march of people descending upon the road beside them. The numbers of this march seemed limitless, as there were people of all colors marching there with weapons, banners and shields. The way they dressed made it seem like they were nothing but common thugs, but it wasn't the case.

"What the hell…who're these weirdos?" Paul asked, having never seen these people before. "They don't look like they belong with the Zaibatsu or the G Corp" the Judo fighter added.

Leo was intrigued, as she watched what the many banners in the march were reading. Some of them had sentences like "NO MORE WAR!", "DOWN WITH THE MISHIMA ZAIBATSU AND G CORPORATION!", "PEOPLE ARE DYING!" and "FEED, HEAL AND SAVE THE WORLD!". However, there was a large banner that seemed to have the most meaningful words for this march. The people even began chanting them repeatedly.

" _WE ARE THE TRUTH!"_

" _WE ARE THE PEOPLE!"_

" _WE ARE THE JUSTICE!"_

" _WE ARE THE RESISTANCE!"_

Once she was finished reading those lines, something hit in the German girl's head. "Wait a second! I've heard about this particular group, albeit they were only rumors" Leo remarked, recalling what that group was.

"What is it then?" Chrisite asked her curiously.

"From what I gathered, it's an international movement formed by people disillusioned with the ongoing war throughout the world. They have rejected the international community and has begun waging their own campaign against the Zaibatsu and the G Corp" Leo recalled what she knew about this movement. "Yet so far, they've relied upon hit-and-run tactics to fight against their enemies. But to see the Resistance being so daring and open…...it amazes me" the German girl added, noticing how brave these people marching on the streets actually were.

"Are you serious? Waging their own battle against two powerful enemies?" Paul asked as he poked his ear. The Judo fighter couldn't help but to let out a laugh in what he was seeing. "That's ridiculous! I don't know whether I should feel embarrassed or laugh at them. I'll do the latter" he then remarked.

"I agree. These burros are only digging their own graves by standing up to enemies that has tanks and other powerful weaponry" Katarina chimed in.

"I don know, Katarina" Christie spoke up as she looked at the angry crowd marching past them. "Somehow, I can understand their anger. After all, the war has taken a toll on their everyday lives. They are doing this to voice their misgivings about being dragged into it" the Capoeira fighter then remarked as she could take notice in the anger that the march was carrying with them.

Because of this enormous march, all traffic had stopped in the city. It only grew larger as normal citizens of Kyoto joined in on the march. Soon, they all made enough noise to cause ruckus in the city.

However, there were someone observing the ongoing march from the top of the buildings. It was the assassin Nina Williams. She was using a device that could not only zoom in on, but also identify the targets. Since parting ways with her biological son, the Irishwoman had decided to gather intel about the recent anti-Mishima activities in Kyoto. She had been hired to spy the leaders of the Resistance.

"Quite a march, I must say. But then again, that alone is not enough to rouse the Zaibatsu into sending the Tekken Force, unless this "Resistance" is perceived as a threat" Nina commented while using her device to search through the crowds of humans. After a few seconds, she managed to identify them, one by one. "I see. Those must be the so-called leaders of this movement. Taiga Miyagi, Rumi Kusakabe, Isaak Lichtenfeld and Hu Yue. Quite the underdogs those anarchists have rallied themselves under" the assassin noted to herself.

From what she could see, the four leaders had blended in with the march. They each shouted out slogans in order to rally their followers. This would only leave them unaware of what Nina was about to do.

The blonde-haired woman reached out for her sniper rifle and took her aim at Taiga specifically. "That said, I better start assassinating that man. He's apparently in debt to the local Yakuza here in Japan. Now they want him dead. Well, I best be done with this quickly" Nina said with no remorse as she was about to pull the trigger of her rifle.

But as she was concentrated on shooting her target, Nina could sense something dashing towards her from the left. Feeling her assassin instincts taking hold over her body, Nina dodged what appeared to be a blue arrow of light. She did so narrowly, as the arrow managed to leave a cut on her wedding dress. The Irishwoman quickly got up on her feet to see who it was that had interrupted her mission. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"It's…you" Nina uttered out in disbelief.

It was the Italian exorcist named Claudio Serafino. For some reason, he had activated his mysterious power that made his right arm bristle with light. However, he soon deactivated it and returned to normal. From the look on his face, the young exorcist seemed pleased with what he had just witnessed.

"Magnificent reflexes you have, Nina Williams. I had hoped that you would be able to at least predict my attack" Claudio complimented the assassin, and he was being frank instead of sarcastic this time.

Still, Nina was not amused. "The most powerful exorcist in the world: Claudio Serafino" she noted, still remembering who Claudio was, as well as the order he was leading. "Please skip the formalities and get straight to the point. Why are you interrupting me in my work?" Nina demanded an answer out of him.

Claudio was still smirking at her. "The answer to that is simple, signora. From what I gather in reading your files, you were Jin Kazama's most trusted bodyguard during his reign of the Mishima Zaibatsu. Come now, did you honestly expect me to be that ignorant of your past?" the Italian man began explaining his reasons for pursuing her. "That alone confirms my suspicions that you have connections with that devil. You may also know where he is" he added to his reasoning.

"So you're saying that I know about Jin's whereabouts, is that what you're implying?" Nina questioned him warily. Her frown soon turned upside down. "Then you have come to the wrong person. Ever since his disappearance, as well as Heihachi's takeover of the Zaibatsu, I've had no dealings with Jin nor any of his accomplices" she told Claudio in a smug manner.

"I beg to differ your claims. You have in fact been working with Jin Kazama in recent times. Come now, weren't you with him in order to "save" Angel from Heihachi's clutches?" Claudio suddenly pointed out to Nina.

Nina's eyes widened slightly in realization. But she soon understood how he knew. "Damnit. How could I not realize? Those new friends of his must've told him about my brief job working for Jin" the assassin thought, thinking about Bryan, Armor King and Feng Wei.

Claudio began taking few steps towards Nina. "That being said, I can only imagine that what you were doing right now is spying on your former accomplices on that job. I mean, don't you recognize Paul Phoenix and Eddy Gordo?" he asked her while motioning his head down to the street below.

Nina had taken notice of Paul and Eddy being on the same street as the march was. However, she had paid little heed to them. Right now, she had other concerns.

"For your information, I was not spying on those two simpletons. I was about to assassinate a target until you interrupted me" Nina told Claudio before readying herself for combat. She stood in her fighting position. "So I kindly suggest that you go bug someone else instead. Otherwise, I'll be more than happy to break your neck" she told him in a cold manner, not having a slight of remorse when uttering out such threats.

"And you suppose that those words will scare me?" Claudio asked, feeling the urge to laugh at Nina's attempt to intimidate her.

The assassin narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm not known for empty threats, exorcist. Try not to forget that" Nina warned him.

"Then let me give you some honest feedback. Your threats only mirrors that of an amateur mercenary's. It will take more than that to convince me to back down" Claudio informed her, stroking his hair as he did that. "I take it that you also may plan on escaping from me, so I have taken some…adjustments in order to ensure that you stay on this spot" he then revealed.

Nina didn't know what Claudio was talking about, but she quickly turned around and grabbed hold of an incoming kunai. She could see who had thrown it towards her. It was the red-haired kunoichi with the foxlike mask named Kunimitsu. Her crimson lips smirked in seeing what good reflexes Nina had.

"Nice catch! If you had enough decency, you would have made a perfect kunoichi" Kunimitsu spoke up, admiring Nina's flexibility.

"Tch, I'm being lectured by a common thief? Don't make me laugh!" Nina responded to Kunimitsu's words. "As far as I know, I earn a living with my profession. What do you do? Oh, that's right. You steal" she suddenly decided to taunt the kunoichi.

Kunimitsu's smirk turned upside down. "Just as I thought. Assassins have no honor. All they do is kill for coins" she said and reached for several shuriken. "See if your profession can keep you alive after this!" Kunimitsu yelled as she threw them towards the assassin.

Nina was ready to dive in order to avoid getting hit, but something else came into her picture. Kunimitsu's shuriken were stopped when somebody appeared before Nina and cut them down. It was an individual not only Nina, but also Kunimitsu, knew well. As a matter of fact, the kunoichi's lips scowled in seeing him.

"Yoshimitsu!" Kunimitsu said the name of her hated enemy.

Yes, the leader of the Manji Party had appeared before Nina in order to cut down the shuriken. Still, Nina didn't feel pleased about Yoshimitsu's sudden appearance, feeling as if he had unnecessarily saved her.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Yoshimitsu? I don't recall asking for your assistance" Nina spoke with dissatisfaction.

Still, the swordsman gave little thought to her rude demeanor. "Save your breath! I did not interfere to save your dishonorable hide, Nina Williams" Yoshimitsu sternly pointed out as he looked at her. But he soon focused his attention on Kunimitsu. "I did so to remind you that you will have the privilege of battling that woman. Kunimitsu is my foe" the ninja said, pointing his blade at her.

While Kunimitsu was angered by Yoshimitsu's interference, she was also pleased at the same time. "So, you finally decided to come to Kyoto? Quite unusual of you, Yoshimitsu. I thought you and your lackeys were contend with staying in the countryside" she began noticing how strange it was for her hated enemy to be in urban areas. "No matter. This will finally give me the chance to obtain my grandfather's blade" Kunimitsu added, feeling that fate was smiling upon her.

"Deluded fool! This sword was never his! How many times must I say that!?" Yoshimitsu hit back, firming his grip on his sword. He then stood in fighting position. "Assassin. You may do with the exorcist as you please. I will deal with Kunimitsu. And don't you even dare interfering in our match" he then told Nina, being more serious than usual.

Nina faced Yoshimitsu with dissatisfaction in her eyes. "Fine by me. And just so you know, nobody orders me around!" she told him, yet Yoshimitsu had already his focus on the kunoichi. Realizing how pointless it was to continue argue with him, Nina turned her attention to Claudio.

So far, the exorcist had expressed irritation in seeing Yoshimitsu arrive. He had expected that Nina would use that opportunity to make a run for it. But surprisingly, the blonde-haired assassin was now willing to face him head on. Apparently, Nina had felt angered by Claudio's interruption as she was about to fire her rifle on Taiga. Now, he would pay.

"Alright. Now that your vicious concubine is busy fighting Yoshimitsu, it gives me the perfect opportunity to fight you one on one" Nina said as she stood in her fighting position. While doing that, she couldn't help but to smirk at Claudio. "I still remember the time you so humiliatingly lost to Heihachi when he wanted your assistance. If he could best you, then so can I" the assassin then remarked, trying to get under Claudio's skin.

The Italian man didn't take kindly to those words. "That was only a minor setback, nothing else! Ever since that defeat, I have honed my skills to be able to defeat dishonorable fighters such as you!" Claudio spoke up, his mysterious power reactivating once again. He was now more than determined to fight Nina. "And since you have the audacity to challenge me, I simply can't refuse such generous offer. But you will cooperate with me once I've broken your fighting spirit. Until then, do your worst, assassina!" Claudio spoke in Italian at the end before charging towards Nina.

The battle on the rooftop was on. It went on as the ongoing march continued to raise its voice in Kyoto. How would this end?

* * *

 _In the Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden, Taito, Japan_

As the evening was descending upon Japan, lights were on full display in the Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden in Taito. The reason? It was where the Mishima Zaibatsu Victory Celebration Banquet was being held. Currently, limos were driving up to the Western-style residence in the area. It was once the former estate of the Iwasaki clan. Now, it was where the Mishima Zaibatsu would celebrate its supposed victory over the G Corporation. As such, international diplomats, politicians and VIPs alike were invited to witness this celebration.

Heihachi Mishima had never felt so proud of himself before. After many years of struggling, Kazuya was dead. The threat by Revenant and his Acolytes of Pluton had been diminished. In his mind, he no longer had any powerful opponents to contend with. He simply viewed Lee and Lars' campaign against him as nothing but a nuisance in which the Tekken Force would take care off easily. But right now, the Mishima Patriarch wanted to enjoy the hero worship he received from the international community. This was the time of his life. His long-awaited dream of world domination was slowly becoming a reality.

The banquet had gone smoothly so far. Inside the main residence, the guests were doing all kinds of socializing as they discussed recent events related to the Zaibatsu's victory. But they were not the only ones who enjoyed themselves. Hundreds of Zaibatsu executives and Tekken Force officers were more than happy to participate in this celebration. Needless to say, everyone was having a good time.

However, there were some infiltrators in the banquet. After parting ways with Paul, Eddy and the other fighters in Tokyo, Shaheen and Zafina had decided to sneak into the banquet and see how it would go. By changing into different attires and using fake identity cards, the two Arabs were able to blend in with the guests. Shaheen was wearing a traditional Arabian clothing called thawb, in addition to his shemagh. Zafina, on the other hand, had opted to something more delicate. She wore a dress worn by Egyptian women during the ancient times. However, she retained her normal hairstyle. Still, both Shaheen and Zafina were trying to see if they could find something interesting.

"The banquet seems to be going well, so far. But I still can't grasp the fact that people are speaking of Heihachi Mishima in such a positive manner" Shaheen remarked as he watched a crowd of guests laughing while holding unto a glass of champagne.

"I agree. But remember, we didn't come here to celebrate. We came here to find out what exactly Heihachi is planning on doing now that he has the international community behind him" Zafina reminded her comrade.

The Saudi Arabian man nodded in agreement. "From what I hear, he is preparing himself for a speech he will deliver in the garden from a scene. He also wants to have a little "competition". I don't know the details, but the prize are several race cars" he spoke up. "And it's just that, the General-Secretary of the United Nations has been invited to speak alongside Heihachi. He will most likely reward him with more praises" Shaheen added to what he knew of the program.

"Is that so? Then I suppose this speech will happen once the orchestra stops playing. I can't imagine what Heihachi will do now that…" Zafina said, only to have her attention focused on something else. Looking over some of the guests' shoulders, she was dumbfounded by what she was seeing. "This isn't possible…." Zafina expressed her dismay.

"Huh? What's happening over…." Shaheen was confused and looked over to see what Zafina was looking at. Once he got a look, he too was dismayed. "Oh…now this is just…" he didn't have words for how to describe it.

Believe it or not, Kuma, Heihachi's loyal pet, was dancing! He was doing the chicken dance and all the guests stood there and laughed at how amusing the bear was. But some of them felt how awkward it was for a bear to be doing the chicken dance. Nevertheless, Kuma made people laugh. It didn't even take long before others joined in on the chicken dance, thus making the feeling more awkward for Shaheen and Zafina. They really felt like getting out of the residence.

"Let's just get out of here. I just can't stand watching more of this nonsense" Zafina suggested, and Shaheen seemed more than willing to do so.

The two Arabs exited and went into the garden, where the atmosphere was just as lively as inside, expect for no weird dancing, of course! In the garden, a large scene had been set up, where an orchestra was playing songs from all kinds of famous composers. There were those from Antonio Vivaldi, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Strauss, Ludwig van Beethoven, Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Edvard Grieg. Such melodies only added to the feeling of the banquet. Some people were dancing, others were talking and laughing.

But for Shaheen and Zafina, it was a perfect opportunity for them to enjoy some peace before Heihachi would have this speech of his. They could see that several people had gathered in a crowd before parked race cars. Someone was trying to tell them why they had been placed in the gardens.

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Do you think you are the most elegant man or woman in this banquet? Then sign up for this extraordinary competition! Heihachi Mishima wants to know which you guests have the best attire! You think you have what it takes? The winner will receive these spectacular race cars from Castrol. Just imagine you being able to drive one of these beauties in the streets!" an announcer of this competition was having fun in revealing the prize cars.

From what the Arab fighters could tell, each of these five race cars were from the largest car manufacturers in Japan. From Mazda, it was a RX-7. From Toyota, it was a Supra GT. From Nissan, it was a Nismo GT-R. From Mitsubishi, it was a GTO. And from Honda, it was an NSX-R GT2. These race cares all had the logo of Castrol imprinted on them.

"Five race cars for just one person? Clearly something's not right with the old man's head" Shaheen commented in what he was seeing.

Zafina couldn't help but to chuckle in amusement, finding Shaheen's words to be funny. "My sentiments, exactly" the Egyptian woman replied, although Shaheen was not sure why she found it funny.

It didn't take long before the orchestra stopped playing. A loud applause was given to it as a result. But as soon as the applause ended, the lights on the scene were switched off. The only one who could be seen was Heihachi's most trusted secretary: Tamaki. She was dressed in a fancy Oriental outfit. Apparently, Tamaki was about to make a new announcement to the guests in the garden. She stood by the podium, making sure that it was completely quiet before she could speak.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I trust that you all have found this banquet accommodating so far. Well, it just keeps getting better. We have great plans for this spectacular celebration of victory against the demons. It will be a competition that everyone can participate in. And of course, there is a chance for you to demonstrate your dancing later. We have this wonderful orchestra that is more than happy to play for us as we begin moving. But first, we will start with hearing a few words of wisdom from our leader himself. Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Mishima Zaibatsu, I give you our esteemed CEO and savior of the Earth itself….Heihachi Mishima" Tamaki spoke up before clapping her hands.

All the guests gave applauses for Heihachi, as he emerged on the scene and took Tamaki's place at the podium. The old man grinned and raised his hands to receive the applause and cheers from his guests. The very feeling of standing there brought him so much satisfaction.

"Thank you, Tamaki. A splendid presentation you just showed us" Heihachi commended his secretary before turning his attention to his guests. "Hello to you all, friends and allies of the Mishima Zaibatsu. I, Heihachi Mishima, would like to start my speech by personally welcome you all to this banquet. As its host, it feels me with the uttermost pride to be standing here and gaze upon the politicians, diplomats and employees that has decided to come and have a share of our glory. It is only natural, considering how this world was on the verge of being taken over by the G Corporation and their nefarious leader. Had they succeeded in winning this war, we would all be slaves to demons. But I personally led the charge, hoping to put an end to the G Corporation's maddening crusade against freedom. And no matter what kind of dirty tricks our enemies pulled, the Mishima Zaibatsu always prevailed. That is why the victory that was previously thought to be unachievable, was given to us after all the hard work. And because of this victory, I am more than happy to help this world rebuild itself. There is no question that the war had taken its toll on the people. That is why I am stepping forward, eager to prove myself that I am fit to help in rebuilding what was lost!" the old man started the first phase of his speech, receiving more applause and cheers for his words.

Unbeknownst to his guests, Heihachi had absolutely no interest in helping what he deemed as impoverished people. He only saw that as a means to an end. With the international community's blessing, Heihachi was certain that his dream of world domination would be his for the taking.

* * *

 _At the Mishima Zaibatsu Watchtower, Keelung Islet, Taiwan_

A large tower had been erected by the Tekken Force in wake of this global war. Although its construction had previously been ordered by Jin Kazama, Heihachi was more than supportive of this watchtower. With it, the Zaibatsu would gain an important position in the Pacific Ocean, as well as keep China at bay. But ever since Heihachi had regained control of the conglomerate, nothing dire had happened to the watchtower…until now.

The Zaibatsu had turned Keelung Islet into an island fortress. Soldiers were always on the watch for enemy ships in the waters. They were even occupying the harbor on the island. This harbor would receive reinforcements, food, weapons and other forms of supplies from the nearby port city of Keelung on Taiwan. Still, as the night had arrived and the majority of the Tekken Force were out celebrating their supposed victory, they failed to notice how vulnerable they left themselves to their enemies.

On the small harbor on Keelung Islet, several soldiers of the Tekken Force could see a boat approaching them, being prepared to dock. This boat was a landing craft, which was used to transport soldiers and vehicles. One of the soldiers nudged their comrade.

"You go there and make sure it docked right" he told him and the soldier did without objections.

As the soldier stood by the edge and was ready to check on what the landing craft was arriving with, he became slightly confused as with why there was not a soul to be soon on it. That soldier was soon given an answer, once the lowerable ramp was downed. It filled him with nothing but terror.

"AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!" he screamed as he lost his composure.

The other soldiers were wondering why he just screamed, so they went over to see what the case was. "Hey! Why did you…" the soldier soon discovered the reason his comrade had screamed so loud.

What they saw on the landing craft was beyond horrendous. Corpses of Tekken Force officers lied on the deck, many of them torn off their body parts. As a result, blood was spilled on the deck too. Some of the corpses were even headless.

"Holy fuck…" another soldier cursed in what he was seeing. "What the hell happened!?" he then demanded as he held onto his assault rifle.

The leading soldier had gone onboard the landing carrier and tried to see if someone was driving it. From what he could see in the window, there were none to be seen. This only made things more suspicious.

"Contact the watchtower immediately! Tell them to send a search party here, ASAP! Something tells me that someone was driving this landing carrier before it docked here!" the leading soldier commanded his subordinates as he began searching the deck for any clues.

"But I don't understand. Who could've possibly massacred this entire…" he was interrupted by a very cheerful voice.

"HIIII!" the soldiers on the deck quickly turned around to see a blonde-haired teenage girl dressed like a cat standing on the dock. She was facing them with a gleeful expression as usual. "I'M LUCKYYYY CHLOE!" she said while doing her signature pose.

The soldiers were complete caught off guard by this. They aimed their weapons at Lucky Chloe. "Who the hell are you!? And how did you get here!?" one of the soldiers demanded an answer.

Chloe put her paw-like gloves in the air. "Easy there, fellas! I'm just a happy, go-lucky girl!" the teenage blondie insisted to them.

"Cut the bullcrap! You haven't answered our question!" another soldier barked at her.

In response, Chloe stuck her tongue out at them. "I DID answer you, jerkfaces! I'm Lucky Chloe! Do those helmets you wear make you lose your hearing or something?" she responded in a bratty manner. However, she soon found herself smirking at the soldiers. "Oh, that may be just it! No wonder why you didn't hear me coming, let alone my partners!" she then remarked.

None of the soldiers seemed to have clue of what Chloe was talking about. However, the leading soldier couldn't help but to hear hissing coming from behind. It froze him, yet he did slowly look over his shoulder to see who was doing that. It was a dinosaur wearing blue boxing gloves. It was none other than Alex. The prehistoric creature roared at the solider, causing him to drop his weapon.

"AAAAARRRRGHHHHHHHH!" he screamed as Alex dug his jaws onto the soldier's helmet. Given how razor-sharp his teeth were, Alex managed to pierce through the helmet and onto the soldier's face. Blood and screams was all that came out of the poor soldier.

The other soldiers were horrified by this, and they all sought to shoot Alex as quickly as possible. But someone else had begun showing himself on the deck. It was the biomechanical weapon called Gigas. The red-skinned behemoth growled as he began rampaging on the deck. One of the soldiers opened fire, yet the bullets didn't so much as injure Gigas. In response, he angrily grabbed the soldier, proceeding to break his neck and throw him off the landing carrier and into the ocean.

The remaining commanding solider was terrified of what he saw. Without even thinking, he got off the landing carrier and ran past Chloe. He was determined to reach the watchtower and warn them about this attack. Unfortunately for him, someone had landed in order to block his passage. Distress was taking hold on the soldier as JACK-7 began moving his mechanical arms. It didn't take long before the soldier was knocked out cold. JACK-7 checked him to see that he was unconscious or not.

"Target neutralized" JACK-7 summarized after a quick observation.

Alex and Gigas got off the landing carrier, giving Chloe the opportunity to watch the mess onboard. She felt sick to her stomach in seeing so much blood being spilled.

"Ugh! God, that's SO disgusting! I feel like I'm about to throw up!" Chloe ranted, her cheeks bloating as a result. But somehow, she swallowed it and kept her composure. The young otaku turned to face Alex and Gigas with dispassion in her eyes. "Seriously! Was it really necessary to make THAT much of a mess!? I mean, just look at it! It smells as if dead fetuses have been thrown onboard this deck!" she then complained.

Neither Gigas nor Alex seemed to care what Lucky Chloe said, as they kept walking to join up with JACK-7. Muttering angrily to herself, Chloe did the same thing. But as she kept walking, she was being contacted by her superiors through her headphones.

" _Chloe! Come in! How's the situation on the docks?_ " the commanding voice of Bruce could be heard.

Chloe groaned in irritation. "Chill out, old man! Everything's cool! Nobody's seen us. We took care of them before they could even contact the watchtower!" the teenage girl responded.

" _Hmm…...good work. You all deserve credits for this. Good thing you didn't tag along with us_ " Bruce remarked in what he was hearing.

"Okay, enough about us! How's the situation with you and the others? Did you climb up the wall of rock like you said you would?" Chloe then responded.

" _Damn right, we did! And we're currently hiding ourselves near the watchtower, using the bushes for cover. So you guys better move your asses if you wanna catch up to us. Bruce out_ " he stopped speaking to Chloe on the communicator.

The teenage girl was pretty much filled with contempt for Bruce right now. "That sanctimonious piece of…..." Chloe was interrupted when JACK-7 spoke up.

"My sensors detect the boss' location on top of this island. They are hiding somewhere among the woods near the watchtower. We best go up there and regroup with them" JACK-7 said, the big robot already doing some scanning on the top of the island.

Sighing, Chloe knew better than to question JACK-7's intellect. "Then lead the way. We'll follow behind you" she told him.

"Affirmative" JACK-7 responded and so he lead Lucky Chloe, Gigas and Alex up to the top of the island. There were paths on the island, yet these four were able to carve out a way for themselves through the bushes and trees. The journey was tough regardless.

At the top of the island stood the watchtower. It was a tall skyscraper, so imposing with cannons and satellites attached to it on its heights. But at the bottom, the area was walled. However, there were no gates, only soldiers of the Tekken Force that patrolled it as if they were guarding something valuable. There were only few of them outside, however. Most of the soldiers had gone off to join the security at the Mishima Zaibatsu's banquet in Taito. Still, the watchtower's commanders were still inside.

Two of the soldiers standing by the walls were facing the dark environment before them. So far, they hadn't been able to spot any threats among the bushes or the trees. Things seemed peaceful, until a blinking light could be soon in the distance. The soldiers were alerted, already aiming their weapons at where the light was. But they soon lowered once they could see that it had stopped. Things became suspicious.

"What was that light? Was it one of ours?" one of the soldiers asked the other.

"I've no idea. But I'll go and check for myself. You stay here and hold the position. Something's not right here" his comrade responded.

And so, the soldier began taking small steps towards the distance, realizing that he was passing by bushes and some trees. But he just had to see from where this blinking light had come from. And what was it? With each step he took in the fauna, the soldier made sure to watch his surroundings. But his sensors didn't pick up anything suspicious so far. That only unsettled him.

"Damnit…..what kind of trickery is this!? Don't tell me that it was an animal or something" the soldier wondered as he kept moving.

Once he reached to the exact location the blinking light had come from, he pointed his weapon and looked around. But he suddenly stumbled upon something in the grass. Wondering what it was, the soldier used the flashlight on his helmet in order to get a better view. He was completely confused. What lied on the ground was a flashlight. The soldier felt confused.

"A flashlight…...this has to be a joke" he remarked as he picked it up. But something hit the soldier's head and he looked over to see if his partner were still standing by the walls. To his shock, his partner was nowhere to be seen. He had completely vanished. "What the….what the hell's going on!?" he exclaimed with discomfort.

The soldier's discomfort made him unable to take care of his own surroundings. Without him knowing, someone had snuck up behind him and was now pointing a silenced gun onto his helmet. That feeling made him freeze.

"Hands up in the air, mister" a seductive yet threatening voice could be heard from behind. It came from a woman. Without hesitating, the soldier did as she requested, dropping his weapon in the process. While his hands were up in the air, the woman soon revealed herself. It was none other than Anna Williams, an assassin and Kazuya's personal secretary. The brunette smirked as she held her gun towards the helmet. "Good boy. Now if you don't mind, I'll be borrowing this. And trust me, you will get it back later" she said while snatching a card hanging from the soldier's hips.

He was completely in fear and unable to do anything. But just as he thought he was safe, Anna fired her silenced gun, thus ending his life. Anna smirked in what she had done, showing no signs of remorse for her killing. She was an assassin, albeit a different one than what her older sister was.

"On second thought, I was speaking ironically. I always get what I want" Anna then said before letting out a sadistic laugh at her dead foe. "Sweet dreams, handsome" she then told the soldier before blowing a kiss at his corpse. Anna then proceeded to move up to the walls and the open gates.

Apparently, she was not alone in the area. From the shadows, Bruce Irvin emerged and approached Anna. Apparently, he had taken care of the other soldier while his partner had been lured by Anna. The Irishwoman seemed pleased to see Bruce.

"I trust you had fun with your target, Bruce" Anna spoke up.

Bruce grunted in reply. "I was only supposed to ring his neck, not play with him. Either way, he's sleeping among the bushes for now" he responded before facing his surroundings. He scowled. "Where's that damn cosplayer and those other idiots!? I told them to get up here as quick as possible!" the black-skinned man felt irritated that Lucky Chloe and the others had not showed up.

"All in due time, Bruce" both Anna and Bruce looked behind them to see their superior, Kazuya Mishima, standing there in a combat attire. Behind him, two squadrons of G Corporation soldiers appeared. From the looks of it, some of them were wearing ghillie suits, most likely to camouflage themselves from enemy eyes.

Anna smiled in seeing Kazuya coming. "Well then. How do we proceed next? After we use this card to enter the watchtower that is?" she asked Kazuya, wondering what they would do next.

Kazuya's eyes remained focused on the watchtower's heights. "According to what I've discovered there is a control panel right underneath the rooftop. Once our squadrons make ruckus with the guards stationed inside, they will without a doubt try making contact with the Zaibatsu's HQ. That is why we will be the ones to go up there and make sure none of them spreads a word" Kazuya explained the details, his eyes never leaving sight of their destination. He then couldn't help but to form an evil smirk, his fists clenching tightly. "And take no prisoners. Do with them in any way you please. Just make sure they are put out of their misery" he then added.

Bruce cracked his knuckles, eager to do what Kazuya was suggesting. "With pleasure" he responded.

Even Anna was looking forward to it. "I can smell the sweet revenge coming towards me already. That old bastard Heihachi will pay for what he did to us!" she spoke up, hissing as she mentioned the name of Kazuya's father.

"Yes, Anna. And I will make sure of it" Kazuya assured his secretary.

* * *

 _Inside the watchtower's control panel_

High inside the watchtower, soldiers and engineers alike were busy watching the many screens on the computers. After all, there were many cameras in this skyscraper, even outside. But so far, there was no way nothing that indicated something was suspicious. And things didn't seem so serious for them, given that they had expected this to be a time for celebration. But that couldn't' have been farther from the truth.

"Oh, watch this, guys! The General-Secretary of the UN is now speaking on the stage alongside the boss" one of the soldiers told his comrades as he watched a video that showed him the ongoing banquet in Taito. "I still don't get why we're stuck in this tall piece of crap when there are now enemies we need to look out for. Soon, every nation in the world will accept the Mishima Zaibatsu as their leader" he then pointed out.

"Yeah. I hear you, buddy" another soldier agreed with his sentiment.

But one of the engineers were browsing certain files that showed him a list of deliveries to the watchtower. He was confused. "Now this is strange. I understand that a landing carrier was supposed to dock on Keelung Islet with reinforcements and supplies at this hour. But we haven't received a word yet" he spoke up.

Another engineer looked at him in a laidback manner. "Tch, it's probably been delayed by waves or something. But who cares? It's not like we've got anything to worry about. The G Corp has been decimated and China doesn't want any trouble with us. I still don't get why we need those now" he pointed out, feeling that his colleague was exaggerating a little.

But the engineer ignored that and proceeded to tap on the keyboard to see if there was more for him to watch over.

Everyone in the control panel snapped once they could hear the alarm sound off. It caught them all by surprise, as they had not expected this to happen. A screen suddenly showed them one of the guards stationed in a hallway calling to the control panel.

" _Come in! Come on! We're being attacked! I repeat: we're being attacked!_ " the guard spoke up, thus shocking everyone in the control panel.

"Attacked!? By who!?" a chief engineer wanted some answers as he faced the screen.

" _Two G Corp squadrons are engaging us in battle at the first floor! They've carrying deadly weaponry and has succeeded in driving us back so far!_ " the soldier told them.

The chief engineer couldn't believe his own ears. "WHAT!? BUT HOW IN THE HELL DID THEY GET PAST OUR SECURITY!?" he demanded while slamming his fist on the table. "Shit! This is completely unexpected! But how were they able to mount an assault while we were busy…" he stopped speaking once he and the rest in the control panel could feel an explosion coming nearby.

It almost sounded is if a bomb had gone off. Even now, the fire alarm had been switched on, yet there was no such in the control panel. Still, the people inside become more uncomfortable as they could hear a gunfight happening.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!?" the chief engineer demanded, until someone entered the control panel. It was a soldier, yet he seemed very distressed.

"Sir! You have to contact HQ…NOW! WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME!" the soldier yelled in desperation.

"For what reason!?" the chief engineer responded.

"It's urgent…...he's still alive…...Kazuya Mishima is still alive!" the soldier revealed, but noticed how closer the gunshots were coming. "He and his associates are on this floor, right now! You have to warn the boss about this immediately before…SHIT! THEY'RE GETTING CLOSER!" he then yelled and joined up with his comrades in hopes of trying to stop the intruders.

The chief engineer fell to his knees. He was in utter disbelief of what he was hearing. Despair took hold of him as he continued to listen the gunshots and screams in the nearby hallways. Even so, there was something he could do in hopes of making sure Heihachi was prepared. As such, he faced his subordinates.

"All you engineers, contact HQ this instant! Tell them that Kazuya is still alive!" he commanded them before turning his attention on the soldiers stationed in the control panel. He was specifically facing two of them. "You two! You're coming with me to the helipad! We can still make a quick escape and deliver this message should this fail! The rest of you, stay here and hold the line!" he told them and proceeded to take two soldiers with him and out of the control panel.

The remaining soldiers readied their weapons for anything that could emerge out of that door. For some reason, the gunfights had stopped. A brief silent atmosphere had emerged. The soldiers and the engineers wondered whether the intruders had been put down or not. That was what they wanted to believe in. But the silence died once someone broke through the door. It was Gigas. The raging behemoth began terrorizing his foes as they tried to shoot him, but to no avail. He was followed by JACK-7 and Alex, the two also starting to tear down their foes. JACK-7 threw a solider at the wall of screens while Alex had started devouring an engineer that was trying to make contact with HQ.

Soon, Kazuya, Bruce and Lucky Chloe entered the control panel. Expectedly, Chloe expressed her disgust with what she was seeing, yet neither Bruce nor Kazuya did the same thing. Bruce walked over to an engineer that was trying to do something and shot him in the head.

"That takes care of everyone in the control panel. But there were three survivors that fled to the rooftop. Isn't there a helipad on that rooftop?" Bruce asked Kazuya as he surveyed their dead targets.

"Don't worry. I predicted they would try making a run for it. So I have dispatched Anna to make sure they won't leave this island alive" Kazuya assured Bruce. Feeling that there was nothing else for them to do in the control panel, Kazuya decided to head out. "Now, let's go upstairs. Our hour of retribution is only a few feet away from us" he told his subordinates, who all followed him after laying waste to the control panel.

On the rooftop, the chief engineer and two soldiers were entering a helicopter that was standing on the helipad. The soldiers took to the piloting and got the helicopter operational as quickly as they could.

"HURRY UP, GODDAMNIT! WE MUST GET OFF THIS ISLAND BEFORE WE DIE!" the chief engineer cursed out angrily as he pilots did their best to get the vehicle in the air.

Soon, the helicopter was floating above the helipad and proceeded to slowly take to the air. But what those inside it failed to realize was that Anna was also on the rooftop, yet not alone. Resting on her right shoulder was the assassin's trusty bazooka. The brunette smirked cruelly as she looked up to the helicopter.

"It must be nice going for a trip in the night. But I'm afraid this is where it ends for you" Anna spoke up and aimed her weapon at the helicopter. Now she had the perfect aim. "So long, pathetic nitwits" she said before firing her bazooka.

The rocked quickly flew towards it's target and it hit the helicopter's tail, thus destroying it completely. With its tail out of commission, the helicopter began losing balance.

Inside it, the soldiers were desperate to find a way to save themselves. But it was too late, for both them and the chief engineer. Theirs would be an aerial grave. Still, they desperately tried to contact HQ, but to not avail. Bear in mind that they were falling from a very high distance.

"MAYDAY! MAYDAY! WE'RE GOING DOWN! WE'RE GOING DOWN!" the pilot yelled as he lost control.

Feeling satisfied with what she accomplished, Anna couldn't help but to kiss her bazooka with affection. "Well done, sweet little thing" she cooed, treating the bazooka as if it was a pet or something.

But she was soon joined by Kazuya and his most important allies. Now, they were all standing on the rooftop, being so high above the ocean itself. Kazuya looked up to the dark skies, looking past the Moon and trying to find the exact location of his target: the Mishima Zaibatsu's satellite death ray. But as he did that, Kazuya began to have some words with his subordinates.

"I must thank you all for sticking to my side in spite of what happened in Tokyo. Finding reliable friends and allies are difficult these days. That is why I am eternally grateful for what you have done so far" Kazuya revealed to them, but suddenly deciding to change the mood. "Now, I will do as I promised you all. I shall make Heihachi pay for his cowardly attack, as well as shattering our dignity. All this hero worshipping of that old fool will come to an end! Watch carefully, my friends! Watch as I bring our retribution to light!" Kazuya then declared.

His allies stood and watched as Kazuya gathered enough power from his Devil Gene. He was not planning on transforming himself into his Devil form, but he would use his Evil Eye. Given how high Kazuya was currently standing on, the Japanese man knew that his beam would reach the space, let alone the satellite death ray. Once he felt like he was ready, Kazuya unleashed this powerful red beam from the rooftop and up to the space. It felt destructive, yet Kazuya's allies were impressed with how far it managed to reach space. After three seconds, Kazuya stopped firing. He felt tired and exhausted, yet a smirk crept on his face.

The others looked up to he black skies and saw an explosion taking place. Kazuya had succeeded! He had literally destroyed the satellite death ray. As they all looked up, they could see how more explosions could be seen. That could only mean one thing: the satellite would now be divvied into smaller, yet destructive parts, almost as if they were meteorites.

As he looked up to see his handy work, an evil smirk crept on Kazuya's face. But he was not alone in feeling so satisfied. Anna, Bruce and even Chloe felt happy to know how this would ruin Heihachi.

"I can't wait to see the look on that old man's face!" Anna remarked in a gleeful manner.

"Serves him right for almost killing us back in Tokyo! Now he will understand how we felt!" Bruce spoke up.

Kazuya's gaze never left the dark skies that were burning. It made him chuckle deeply, knowing that this would make his father angry. But that only felt good in Kazuya's mind. "No matter how many dishonorable tactics you resort to, you can never defeat me, Heihachi!" Kazuya said as if he was speaking to this father. Now, revenge had never felt sweeter.

* * *

 _Back at the Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden, Taito, Japan_

Heihachi stood and watched in pride as the General-Secretary of the United Nations stood on the podium delivering his speech. The CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu could no spend the rest of his days in all luxury and not worry about one little thing. He had finally eliminated his enemies for good. Nothing could possibly go wrong for him. But all that changed when everyone in the celebration could hear a loud explosion coming from the skies. The speech was interrupted and all the guests were horrified by what they witnessed.

Even Heihachi was feeling discomfort with seeing this explosion. And now he was seeing what appeared to be five balls of fire heading towards the Earth. He couldn't believe his own eyes.

"What is the meaning of this…" Heihachi uttered out, his widened eyes never leaving sight of the burning skies. "Are those…meteorites?" he then wondered, still facing up.

But he was interrupted by the voice of Tamaki. His secretary immediately urged him to come over to her and he did so without hesitation. She held up a tablet computer that was showing him one of those scientists stationed at HQ. He seemed very desperate from what Heihachi could tell.

" _Sir! Dire news! The satellite death ray has been shot down! I repeat: the satellite death ray has been shot down!_ " the scientist revealed as Heihachi listened.

Once he heard what was said, Heihachi froze. "What!? Preposterous! There is no way that someone can…" he didn't believe it at first, but he was soon given confirmation.

" _It is true, sir! Just look at this!_ " the scientists responded while the screen on the tablet computer showed Heihachi the status of the satellite death ray. The old man gasped. It stood "WARNING: SATELLITE GOING DOWN!". Heihachi grabbed the tablet computer form Tamaki's hands and looked up to the skies.

Soon, Heihachi knew that it was too good to be true. Indeed, as he raised the tablet computer up to the burning skies, it became apparent that the satellite had been destroyed.

"No….no…...how…." Heihachi was filled with disbelief as he dropped the tablet computer on the ground. As he kept looking up, some thoughts came into the old man's mind. There could only be one explanation for this. And Heihachi uttered out the name of the man responsible for destroying his satellite. "Kazuya…Kazuya….KAZUYAAAAAAAAA!" he angrily yelled the final time as he roared up to the burning skies.

 _To be continued…_


	31. Distant Dreams

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 31: Distant Dreams**

 _All across the world_

When the Mishima Zaibatsu's satellite death ray was destroyed by Kazuya using his Evil Eye, it exploded into five smaller, yet destructive parts. In a way, they almost functioned like meteorites. Even so, the explosion had brought fear and terror into humanity's eyes. But the results of this was even more terrifying for mankind. Five cities in the world had suffered as a result of these satellite parts crashing upon them. Many civilian lives had been thrown away because of it. The five cities that suffered these catastrophes was Guangzhou in China, Bangalore in India, Mombasa in Kenya, Geneva in Switzerland and Baltimore in the USA. Each of these cities had experienced a tremendous loss of innocent civilian lives, and it had resulted in outrage towards the Mishima Zaibatsu. And given how Geneva was the location of one of the United Nations' headquarters, it became clear to the international community what this was all about. In their eyes, Heihachi Mishima had only tricked them.

Heihachi, who was already busy celebrating his supposed victory against his son, had been completely caught off-guard by this event. When he found out that his precious satellite had been shot and reduced to bits, the CEO of the Zaibatsu had tried with all his might to deny any responsibility for downing it. But it was already too late. Leaks and rumors had already been spread across the Internet like an epidemy, thus rendering Heihachi's attempts useless.

In addition to that, the G Corporation had managed to leak intel to the international community about where the Zaibatsu supposedly had shot the satellite down. They even showed them the video of the beam being fired from the Mishima Zaibatsu Watchtower on Keelung Islet. This time, Kazuya and his allies had succeeded in framing Heihachi for the satellite's destruction, which would eventually lead to the loss of innocent human lives as well. As such, all fingers pointed to Heihachi and his Zaibatsu.

This horrifying incident ruined the relationship Heihachi had worked to build with the international community. On every news channel in the world, pictures of the destruction caused by the satellite parts was dominating the headlines. Pictures of people crying for their loved ones, as well as corpses being picked up by medics of Red Cross, made people turn their anger towards the Zaibatsu. All across the continents, anti-Mishima protests took place in the major cities of the world. These protests took place outside venues of the Zaibatsu. The people in those marches demanded not just an end to any conflict, but also justice for those who had perished in the chaos. They called for Heihachi to be tried by the ICC for war crimes and genocide.

This was a major concern for Heihcahi. Before this incident, the ICC had considered trying Kazuya and his associates for such. Now, he was the villain in this war. Because of how much coverage these disasters received, the news about Kazuya revealing his Devil form were quickly forgotten. But on the other hand, people were quick to remember that it was the Zaibatsu, not the G Corp, that had started the war and caused so much suffering with this campaign of theirs. The recent incidents only reminded them about who was the aggressor and who was the opposer. As such, the war continued, only this time, the Zaibatsu was now facing increasing hostility throughout the globe. They had lost their hero-status.

Now as for those fighters who had previously contested in the King of the Iron Fist Tournament 7, they all had their fair share of reactions to this crisis. No matter how each they differed, most fighters agreed that Heihachi had not been the one responsible for downing the satellite. It was Kazuya and his allies. But what would happen now that the international community was struggling to cope with this manmade humanitarian disaster? Some would see this as a new twist of events in the ongoing war, while others would see this as an opportunity.

* * *

 _In Heihachi's office, the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

The mood was filled with resentment, as Heihachi Mishima was watching what was being said on the news lately. Crossing his arms, the Mishima Patriarch stood and listened to this news broadcast in disgust.

" _A global tragedy has transpired on this world. The Mishima Zaibatsu downed its own satellite, causing it to explode and disintegrate into five smaller yet destructive pieces. They fell down towards the Earth like meteorites, landing on five different cities: Guangzhou in China, Bangalore in India, Mombasa in Kenya, Geneva in Switzerland and Baltimore in the United States. The casualties in each city was tremendous. In fact, this crisis has now been termed as the most terrifying manmade disaster in the history. The United Nations and the International Criminal Court reacted furiously to this by suspending all kinds of talks with the Mishima Zaibatsu. As of now, the Zaibatsu itself faces increasing scrutiny throughout the world because of this recent event. But they continue to deny any involvement in downing the satellite and are pointing fingers at their enemies. Regardless, the ICC has begun to issue an arrest warrant for Heihachi Mishima and are demanding him to stand for crimes against humanity"_

This was one of the many things that were being said on the news channels currently. It was being watched by Heihachi Mishima and his closest associates. They watched the screen soon showed them videos and pictures of anti-Mishima protests throughout the globe. They happened everywhere, from New York, Buenos Aires and Belgium to Cape Town, Shanghai and Sydney. Even the cities of Japan were filled with angry demonstrators and rioters, demanding to get their hands on Heihachi. But so far, the Tekken Force had been able to keep them away from the Zaibatsu's facilities.

Still, Heihachi was in no mood as he could hear how people were chanting words towards him as if he was a criminal, tyrant or worse, a demon. Receiving those words only hurt him on the inside, as well as making him angry and resentful of the global public.

The CEO of the Mishima Zaibatsu was standing by the table map as officers of the Tekken Force were scrambling to see whether any parts of the world had no anti-Mishima sentiments. Unsurprisingly, there were none. The entire world was now against them.

A soldier suddenly came up to his boss' side, given that he had some information to share with Heihachi. "Sir, I doubt that we will ever recover from this incident. Every international institution has rejected us, including the UN. Apparently, the loss of lives in Geneva must've really made them upset towards us. They are even accusing us of trying to destroy them" the soldier spoke, yet Heihachi was not following him, the old man's gaze lost in deep thoughts.

"(The allegations are preposterous! Those diplomats are all a bunch of fools!)" Kuma roared as he heard what that soldier was saying. "(We have repeatedly told them that the Zaibatsu was not behind the downing of that satellite! And we even showed proof that there exists no laser cannon on the watchtower on Keelung Islet as the rumors claim it does!)" the bear continued.

The soldier nodded his head in agreement. "Of course! But even so, its too late for us to prove our innocence. The G Corp's leaks and manipulations came out faster before we could even react" he pointed out to Kuma before facing his boss once again. "However, we're starting to lose our hold in this war. People have forgotten about the video of Kazuya revealing his true form. The videos showing the satellite-parts crashing onto those cities has more views. At this rate, it won't be long before we…" the soldier was trying to speak, until he could see something happening with his superior.

"Damn you, Kazuya!" Heihachi roared as he slammed his handpalms upon the screen table before him. The slamming was so powerful that it shattered the glass and caused the map to look blurry afterwards.

The minute Heihachi had done that, all the officers and associates only stood and watched as their leader was now filled with rage over the current situation. Never before had they seen him so angry. But at the same time, something else could be read upon Heihachi's expression. It was especially with regards to his eyes. They were narrowed of course. But there was also a tint of sadness within them.

"Everything leads back…." Heihachi spoke up, starting reminisce about something that happened in the past. It was a difficult moment in his life. In fact, the old man was now starting to figure out how he came to be in this predicament. And it all started with the fall of his family. "Everything leads back to that one time!" Heihachi repeated the words he had uttered earlier, this time adding some flavor to it. While there was no question that he was thinking about his son, Heihachi was also thinking about someone else in this life.

All his allies stood around him in silence, even Kuma. "(Master…...)" the bear fumbled, unable to come up with the right words. Even so, Kuma knew that he would have to do something in hopes of encouraging Heihachi. As such, he reached out his paw towards the old man's left shoulder.

But instead of accepting it, Heihachi swatted Kuma's paw as if he didn't want it. This caused shock to the bear, as he always knew how his master would often appreciate his attempts to cheer him up.

"(Master…...why did you….)" Kuma couldn't believe in what he just witnessed.

Luckily, he was given an answer from Heihachi. "I don't have time for bear hugs, Kuma! Right now, my chance of achieving global domination has been ruined, all thanks to Kazuya and his lackeys!" Heihachi cursed his son as he realized how his goals and dreams had been destroyed. "Damn the UN and the ICC! They both have the guts to label me a tyrant and a mass murderer when they should be arresting the true culprits! Kazuya's the demon, not me!" the old man unleashed his anger towards the situation he was in right now.

But after three seconds of standing there, Heihachi took off in anger, causing many of his allies to wonder why he was going away.

"Wait! Hold on, sir! Where are you going?" one of the soldiers asked him.

"These are dire times for the Zaibatsu! Shouldn't we at least plan on how to withstand this pressure!?" another one asked, wanting some answers.

Heihachi did stop, yet he didn't look over his shoulder to face his subordinates. "I need some time alone to reflect on what has happened. Do not interrupt me unless it is related to the G Corporation! And as for what we will do with our facilities throughout the world: continue beating those damn ruffians. Do not let them near the facilities. And make sure that no journalist is seen outside HQ or any of our buildings. If you happen to see some, chase them away!" those were the orders Heihachi gave them before he continued moving out of his office.

"(But Master, there must be something we can…...)" Kuma was trying to get a hold of his owner, only for Tamaki to block his path. The bear was confused, yet the secretary shook her head at him.

"Just leave him alone for now. It's obvious that the boss is not in his right mind at the moment. Not to mention that he's now under a lot of pressure considering the mounting accusations of him being a mass murderer and a tyrant" Tamaki told Kuma, yet the young woman did in fact turn around to see the door Heihachi had exited in. "Wherever he may be going, it's best if we leave him to think about what to do next. Hopefully, something good will come out of it" she added to her observation.

Where was Heihachi going, exactly? Apparently, the old man was now walking in a corridor that would lead him to his personal quarters. The reason? To see a wonderful wedding photo that had surprisingly brought Heihachi some good memories. Right now, the old man continued to glance at the photo of him and his deceased wife: Kazumi Mishima. Even though those days were generations ago, Heihachi still remembered his wedding day.

"Kazumi…..." he spoke up, his formerly stern eyes starting to become teary as he kept looking at the wedding photo. Heihachi even reached a hand and touched Kazumi on the picture. He would never forget those wonderful times he had shared with Kazumi, from childhood to adulthood. The very thought of seeing and remembering her face only made Heihachi do the unthinkable. He cried. Tears fell from his eyes as he kept looking at the photo of him and his late wife. "Why…why is this happening to me? Was this my fate? Was it the punishment for my own pride? Is this the life you wanted for me!? For us!?" those were only a few of the many questions that swirled inside his head.

Heihachi never took his eyes away from Kazumi in the photo. In fact, he couldn't help but to smile, as he started to recall the wedding day. In his mind, it was one of the happiest days of his life. He knew how he and Kazumi would be together until death itself. But as he started recalling, a feeling suddenly started to hit him. It was regret. Heihachi was now regretting a lot of things he had done in the past, among them his chase for immortality. But he soon realized that the reason for his descending into a power-hungry and reckless madman…was all because of one fateful night. This night was something Heihachi would never let go off, even as he was getting older.

As he kept thinking, Heihachi felt his entire body collapse on the inside as he couldn't let go of his past regrets. He was on the verge of falling onto his knees, yet Heihachi stubbornly resisted this urge. But eventually, he did fall on the floor. The pressure alone was too much for Heihachi to bear. The old man held onto his head, as it was already being invaded by so many thoughts. Whatever content they had, Heihachi could feel they were tearing into him emotionally and psychologically. But all those things stopped once the Mishima Patriarch could hear a sweet, yet familiar voice calling out to him.

"Heihachi…..." the voice came from a woman. This made Heihachi look to his right. He saw no one standing there. When he looked to his left, there was no one there either. Now, Heihachi felt confused, yet also fearful at the same time.

"Who's there!? Show yourself!" Heihachi demanded as he waited for an answer. So far, the voice had not responded, let alone showed its origins. The old man couldn't believe what was happening.

Heihachi's heart only kept beating once he heard this sweet voice calling to him once again. But first, it came with a giggle. "I love you, Heihachi..." the voice came and it made Heihachi turn around to see if there was someone standing behind him. To his shock and distress, there was no one standing behind him. The old man felt like he was caught in a spell or something else. Even so, he kept looking around to see if he could find someone lurking in the hallway. He hadn't spotted anyone so far.

"Damnit all…." Heihachi cursed beneath his breath as he felt like his sanity was slipping away. "Just what in the hell do you want with me!? Why do you haunt my mind!? Is there something I have done to make you resentful towards me!? Give me an answer!" he kept moving around, facing each direction to see if there was indeed someone in the same place as he was.

"I do not feel resentful towards you" the voice was soft yet also firm-spoken at the same time. It was haunting Heihachi's mind once again, yet he didn't look as distressed as he was earlier.

For some reason, Heihachi had calmed himself and seemed more composed with his entire body. But still, the Mishima Patriarch was hanging his head. He most likely did that out of shame, or perhaps regret. Apparently, someone was now standing beside him and it was a young woman whom Heihachi knew. This woman continued to glance at Heihachi behind his back, yet the old man still didn't look over his shoulder to face her.

"Kazumi…" Heihachi finally uttered out the name of the woman, as well as the origins of the sweet voice. "Go away…" he then added, although his feelings betrayed his rude words.

Despite being told this, Kazumi didn't walk away, keeping her neutral expression while facing the back of her ex-husband. "There is no point in being deceitful towards me, Heihachi. I know your thoughts. They carry feelings like regret, remorse…...as well as insanity. However, you and I both know who's fault that is, do you not?" the beautiful woman explained to her ex-husband, who still hadn't so much as looked over his shoulder to face. Even so, Kazumi still continued conversing with him as if they were talking. "Heihachi…...I take my fair share of responsibilities when it comes to my own mistakes. But sadly, you have yet to do the same thing. You and I both know what our actions have resulted in. The world has been thrown into endless conflict and bloodshed…all because of my decisions...and your pride" Kazumi went on speaking out her mind.

As he stood there with his head hung in shame, Heihachi had begun reflecting on what had happened with his life. He could recall the most important events that led to him in this state. Throwing his son off a cliff, seeking global domination and desiring to gain immortality through the powers of Ogre, Angel and most recently Revenant. Slowly, Heihachi was starting to realize how he had lost his own sense of humanity. But now, he was slowly starting to regain it. But for what reason? The old man continued to watch the floor as voices of his ex-wife continued to haunt him.

"I know that my own actions have caused suffering to the Mishima name. But still, I want you to know that no matter how much prideful and boastful you were…I always loved you, Heihachi. And the same goes for our beloved son, Kazuya. To think the kind of monster he has become. I can only pray that he one day will forgive me for this life I put him through. No mother wants to murder her own child. Therefore, I will continue to correct my mistakes by…" Kazumi was interrupted by the voice of Heihachi speaking to her.

"Yes. You are the one responsible for all this mess" Heihachi lowly uttered out, turning around to face his ex-wife. Surprisingly, he had tears streaming from his eyes, and it only indicated that he was filled with sadness inside of him. Still, Heihachi possessed enough courage to approach Kazumi, who in turn was bewildered at his actions. Somehow, determination had been building inside Heihachi. "That is why I want you to stop haunting me! Because you are not the Kazumi that I fell in love with! Get out of my head!" Heihachi roared as he swung his fist towards his ex-wife.

But in the minute Heihachi though that his fist would hit Kazumi, he noticed that she was no longer there. It left him stunned, yet he was also relieved to know that he had been caught in some kind of spell. Once again, he looked to both ends to make sure that Kazumi could no longer be seen. Realizing that she was gone, Heihachi continued to his personal quarters. But his eyes still had tears running along his cheekbones.

"I will end it…I will end everything…I WILL END THIS NIGHTMARE THAT HAS DEPRAVED ME OF MY HUMANITY…ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Heihachi's head was stuck in those words as he proceeded to his personal quarters.

What was Heihachi planning on doing now? Had this encounter with his ex-wife somehow driven the Mishima Patriarch to a new level of insanity? Or was he finally determined to put an end to the ongoing feud between him and his son? Either way, Heihachi knew that he could no longer stand living in such state. Something had to be done.

* * *

 _At Sky Terrace Ibukiyama, near Mount Ibuki, Japan_

In wake of the terrible incident that had occurred, the various actors of the ongoing crisis had been unsure about how to respond to this. However, there was one group that saw this as a signal to begin their next move. And that group was the elusive Acolytes of Pluton, led by the mysterious cultist named Revenant. He had led his followers to this famed tourist attraction, which was currently abandoned.

Even though he could have used the ongoing feud to his advantage, Revenant had decided to let his foes destroy each other. Then, he and his cultists would begin their operations of unleashing their wrath upon the world. But they had yet to figure out how exactly they would do that.

At this isolated summit, Revenant was in a good mood as he and his followers looked up to the skies and witnessed the clouds moving with each second passing. The purple eyes behind his mask glowed.

"It is as our scouts tell me, master. Kazuya Mishima and his cohorts infiltrated the Mishima Zaibatsu's watchtower on Keelung Islet and brought down the satellite. And that eventually led to innocent lives perishing in five cities across the world. Even so, Heihachi Mishima has now been labelled the culprit of the incident" one of the cultists spoke to his master.

"And that has only left the old fool increasingly isolated. The international community now treats him as a public enemy. As for the global war, it's still ongoing now that the Zaibatsu are no longer considered the victors" a female cultist added.

A deep chuckle came from Revenant and it rang hollow due to his mask. "Splendid. Just as I expected. I knew it was the right decision to let our enemies quarrel one another while we recuperated. It gives the Acolytes of Pluton the advantage it just needs" Revenant spoke up in a delighted manner. "That being said, I think I just came up with a perfect plan before we make our move" he added.

"What would that be, master?" the female cultist questioned him.

Revenant turned around to face his loyal underlings. "All of you are aware that the Mishimas are not the only ones who would dare stand against us. Even now, former contestants of that wretched tournament the Zaibatsu held are trying to sabotage our plans. There has been a lot of suspicious things going on in Kyoto lately" the masked cultist spoke up before turning around to face the view before him. "However, I also happen to have discovered a certain "movement" that could perhaps be valuable allies to the Acolytes of Pluton. It's the one calling itself the Resistance. I am considering reaching out to its leaders. They will be more than tempted to accept the proposition I offer them" Revenant revealed his plans to his fellow cultists.

It didn't take long before the cultists began kneeling before him, one by one. For Revenant, it only confirmed that their loyalty was undisputed. That only pleased him to his highest.

"Wherever you go, we follow you, master" another cultist spoke up, not so much as hiding his loyalty towards Revenant.

Revenant let out a deep chuckle beneath his mask and faced the view before him. "Glad to know. We will leave for Kyoto soon. But first, let us take a moment and enjoy this view now that we know our foes are vulnerable and weakened" he told his followers who did that without as much as question him.

Unbeknownst to Revenant and his cultists however, someone had been tracking down their location. Among the many parked tour buses that stood on the parking lot, a certain soldier was sneaking amongst the tall and long vehicles in order to hide himself from praying eyes. That person was the American soldier named Bo Montana, or Rodeo as he was usually called by his fellow soldiers and superiors in the US Army.

Ever since parting ways with several contestants in Tokyo, Rodeo had been on the hunt for Revenant and his followers. The search was hard, and recent events had left him slightly distracted. However, with enough clues from locals near Mt. Ibuki, Rodeo had managed to pick up his enemies' trail. And now, he finally had his hated enemy in his sight.

The moment Rodeo saw the masked cultist stretch out his hands, bitter memories started to came back to the solider. He still couldn't forget the day his squadron had been murdered before his eyes. It only brought fuel to the fire that was stoking inside him. But still, Rodeo remembered the wisdom of fellow constants Wang Jinrei and King. He could not let vengeance guide him.

But fighting that tempt was hard for the US soldier. "I can't wait anymore…after all those years of mourning and self-loathing…I'll close that chapter by getting my hands on you, bastard!" Rodeo spoke through gritted teeth.

Feeling that he could no longer allow Revenant to so much as make a move, Rodeo emerged out of hiding and ran towards the group of cultists with a M16 assault rifle in his hands. Now, he was determined to put an end to this, as well as avenging the loss of his squadron. As he neared his target's location, Rodeo felt like yelling out a loud command.

"FREEZE! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR! ALL OF YOU!" Rodeo yelled and some of the cultists had already taken notice of Rodeo's presence.

One of them had decided to reach for his weapon, yet Revenant soon held him back. The cultist was confused by this, yet his master insisted on standing down and let him deal with the US soldier. Without hesitation, the cultist obeyed and bowed respectfully to his liege.

With that taken care of, Revenant approached the angry soldier, who already had his weapon aimed at him. Still, the masked cultist was far from feeling threatened. Rodeo kept his angry gaze fixated upon Revenant, his finger ready to pull the trigger anytime.

"STAY WHERE THE FUCK YOU ARE! AND DON'T MOVE!" Rodeo yelled, his aim never leaving sight of the target.

Still, Revenant didn't consider him dangerous at all. "How unexpected. A soldier of the US Army waltzing around Ibukiyama carrying an assault rifle. Very coincidental" the cultist remarked. But he was not yet finished speaking. "Now then. Who might you be, grunt?" he then asked him.

By hearing this, the rage within Rodeo began consuming his soul. It only angered him how this individual had the audacity to just forget him as a whole. "Quit screwing with me…." Rodeo bristled, soon exposing more of his burning anger. "YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHO I AM! SEVERAL YEARS AGO, IN MOJAVE DESERT, NEVADA! YOU TOOK THE LIVES OF MY COMRADES! NOW I'M BACK FOR VENGEANCE!" the US soldier didn't hold back, fighting back the urge to pull the trigger.

Still, Revenant was confused. "Vengeance? Just what in the world are you babbling about? I have no dealings with…" the cultist suddenly stopped speaking once something hit in his head. Slowly, Revenant started to recognize the face of the soldier before him. As a result, he let out a sadistic chuckle, much to the outrage of Rodeo. "Now I see. It's really you, Bo Montana! Or should I perhaps call you "Rodeo" as your pathetic friends did?" he started to insult the soldier.

"Shut up! You don't get to call me anything but your executioner!" Rodeo hit back at the cultist.

"Even so, I must ask you why you have come all the way to Japan just to seek me? Have you learned nothing from our previous encounter? You were powerless to stop me!" Revenant said, his left metallic hand glowing with purple energy. "Were you smart, you would have ended this meaningless quest for vengeance and gone home. Or are you just a bloodhound of your superiors?" he began insulting Rodeo once again.

Rodeo's eyes narrowed further. "That's none of your damn business! I'm not heading back home until I see you either dead or behind bars! I'll make sure that you will no longer take any more innocent lives" he spat out, yet Rodeo couldn't help but to think about the people that had perished during that terrible day. "Arthur. Diana. Carlos. Faye. Those will be the names you'll remember once I'm through with you!" he then spoke up, uttering out the names of his fallen comrades.

Still, Revenant was unmoved by Rodeo's words. "You still fault yourself for their deaths? Give it up, already! If none of them were strong enough to stop me, then it's their own fault they were weak! And that is exactly why I chose to spare you, Montana. I wanted to send a message to your superiors about the consequences of anyone daring to interfere in the business of the Acolytes of Pluton!" the cultist said, bearing no hint of remorse of the deaths he caused.

Feeling provoked, Rodeo pulled the trigger of his assault rifle and began firing endlessly. "BASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!" he yelled as he kept firing his weapon on his hated enemy.

But even as he kept firing, none of the bullets managed to hit Revenant. For some reason, the bullets "avoided" the cultist. This was most likely due to this mysterious power of his. Revenant kept approaching the agitated soldier, who became only more stressed once this assault rifle was out of ammo. He then pulled out a Magnum pistol and began firing repeatedly, screaming angrily in the process. But it was no use either. The bullets wouldn't hit the target.

Revenant stared at Rodeo unfazed. "Pathetic nitwit. Firearms alone is not enough to injure me!" the cultist taunted his opponent.

Realizing the error, Rodeo put his gun away and cracked his knuckles. "In that case, let's settle this like men, here and now!" the soldier said and roared as he charged towards Revenant.

The masked cultist responded in kind. He was more than happy to break Rodeo's fighting spirit once and for all. A deadly hand-to-hand combat ensued. Rodeo used all his strength to beat up Revenant. Unfortunately, the cultist managed to outsmart his moves, much to the soldier's distress. Things only got more heated once Revenant was prepared to use the same ability that had taken the lives of his comrades. The very sight of it only made Rodeo lose courage to stand up against this foe.

Revenant chuckled evilly as ball of purple light was forming above him. "You recognize this, Montana!? This is the ability in which can take the lives of the weakest fighters! That is why your comrades fell so easily!" he exclaimed behind his mask.

Rodeo's eyes widened in seeing the ball. He was filled with fear, as it only brought him back the most painful moment in his life. "No…...it can't happen again…I WON'T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN!?" the thoughts weighed heavily upon Rodeo.

Seeing how his opponent was cowering before him, Revenant knew that this would weaken Rodeo, thus giving him the opportunity to take his life away. "Now this brings us fond memories, don't you agree!? You will soon be joining your comrades in the afterlife, Bo Montana! Gaze into the abyss and perish!" the masked cultist exclaimed as his eyes glowed twistingly purple. But as he was about to unleash his terror, Revenant was attacked by someone. Rodeo was in disbelief, as the attacker seemed to be a man at a very fragile age. Still, that man had the ability to land a flying kick upon the mysterious individual, thus sending him a few feet away. Revenant was outraged. "Damnit all! Who dares attacking me!?" he demanded, yet ceased his aggressiveness once he saw who that person was.

Rodeo felt his head spinning around in circles. "You gotta be kidding me…Wang…Wang Jinrei? Is that really you?" he wanted to knew whether it was indeed the man he had met during the tournament.

Indeed, it was Wang Jinrei. The elderly man looked over his shoulder to face the soldier sitting on the asphalt. A smile was formed beneath his long white beard.

"So, it was your spirit I sensed, Bo Montana? I was told that a spirit of pure light was on the verge of being taken over by the darkness. And thus, I came to this place and find the origins of this darkness" Wang spoke up, his voice as smooth as his old age was. The Chinese man then turned his attention towards Revenant and his cultists. "And now, I seem to have found the origins. It stems from you, or perhaps more specifically, you wearing the mask" he spoke up sternly.

Despite his followers wanting to attack Wang, Revenant forbade them. Truth be told, he himself was surprised by this turn of events. Now, the masked cultist wanted to speak with the elderly man.

"The esteemed master…Wang Jinrei. Now this, I did not expect" Revenant uttered out, not carrying any hints of deception. Apparently, he knew very well about Wang's reputation.

The expression on the Chinese man's face remained unchanged. As he stood and faced this group of cultists, Wang felt the need to speak with words. "This twisted energy…it reeks of so many negative emotions. What kind of people go to such lengths in order to achieve power?" he questioned them, although he was specifically facing Revenant in the middle.

"Foolish, old man. The Acolytes of Pluton does not seek power. Our goal is to liberate the world and take it back to things as it should be. And now that both the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation are weakened after their ongoing feud, our time has finally come!" Revenant exclaimed, demonstrating some of his abilities for the elderly man to see.

Rodeo grew concerned for Wang's wellbeing. He seriously doubted that he would so much as a last against Revenant. But then again, Wang had just saved him before Revenant could finish him off. The soldier stood by the Chinese man's side.

"Listen, this guy's way too powerful for you to handle! You better get out of here before he…" Rodeo's words were interrupted as he witnessed Wang take several steps towards the exorcists. "Wait! What are you…" he couldn't understand how Wang possessed such determination.

"Your concern for me is appreciated, youngster. But I must inform you that I am no helpless old man. After all, I came here to help an close friend of mine" Wang spoke up before facing Revenant specifically. "I gather that you are the cultist calling himself Revenant. So tell me: what exactly is it you hope to accomplish while this world's population is dying? Do you carry a grudge towards the Mishima clan, perhaps?" he then questioned Revenant.

The eyes in the cultist's mask glowed more purple. Somehow, Wang thought this only indicated that he was angered by hearing those questions. But for what reason? The elderly man had yet to fully understand this shadowy individual.

"You know nothing about me, weakling! My reasons for fighting is not out of disgust for those pathetic Mishimas!" Revenant hit back, yet he felt the need to gain more knowledge from Wang. "And that reminds me, you say you came to help out an old friend? Fool, Jinpachi Mishima is dead! He was defeated by his own great-grandson! All that remains of him is nothing but dust in the wind!" the cultist continued rebuking the elderly man.

While Wang didn't appreciate Revenant speaking ill of his deceased best friend, he still didn't give into his anger. He was too old for such nonsense. "I do not speak of Jinpachi, darkened one. I speak of a dear old friend that has entrusted the secrets of her life to me alone" he responded, sounding quite tough for a man at his age.

"The secrets of her life…...who could you possibly be…." Revenant's mind hit him as he could understand who Wang was referring to. His metallic hands clenched themselves. "Kazumi…...that miserable wench! She is still lurking in the shadows! But why is she even…." he added while expressing his outrage over the matter.

Wang couldn't help but to feel surprised over Revenant's behavior. He didn't foresee such reaction from the cultist. "Goodness, the way you keep speak ill of kindhearted women. Still, you seem to know Kazumi Mishima very well. Just who are you behind that mask, stranger?" Wang pressed on him.

In response, Revenant unleashed his dark energies. This only created a "forcefield" that separated him and his underlings from Wang and Rodeo. It was a burst of power and it created wings that blew into different directions, almost like a hurricane. But while Rodeo had almost been forced to his knees, Wang still stood his ground. In fact, the elderly man stretched out his arms, as if he was trying to protect the soldier from getting taken by the powerful winds.

"I DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR REPUTATION, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE A HINDRANCE TO OUR PLANS, WANG JINREI!" Revenant yelled through his mask, his burst of powers only increasing. "GET IN OUR WAY, AND YOU WILL SUFFER THAN KAZUMI AND HER PATHETIC FAMILY SHALL! NONE WILL DENY MY GOAL OF ANNOUNCING THE RETURN OF THE GODS OF OLD! NOT EVEN A SENILE, OLD MAN LIKE YOU!" those where the last threats the masked cultist uttered before he and his followers vanished.

With them gone, the atmosphere in the area returned to normal. There was not a sight of Revenant and the other cultists. They were completely gone. As such, everything was quiet around Rodeo and Wang.

"Is he gone…is he really gone?" was all Rodeo could as he slowly got up on his feet.

A grim expression had been formed on Wang's elderly gaze, yet he still replied to the soldier behind him. "He is…for now..." he responded, still facing the same spot Revenant and the cultists had stood on. "But I fear that this Revenant will return and spread this malicious aura to vulnerable people in this world. That alone will only inflict more suffering than what they are already enduring" the Chinese man noted, realizing what a dire threat Revenant really was to this world.

Rodeo panted, trying to catch his breath given that he nearly died at the hands of Revenant. Still, the soldier felt the need to thank Wang for what he had done.

"Look…...I don't know how exactly I can repay you and all…...but thanks for saving my ass from getting killed…" Rodeo expressed his gratitude.

In response, Wang smiled weakly beneath his long beard. From what Rodeo could tell, he was finding it amusing for some reason. "Now this is amusing. A brave and tough soldier thanking an old man like me for interfering just in time. I cannot remember the last time I experienced a moment like this one" the Chinese man spoke with a hint of humor in his voice. However, a serious frown was suddenly formed, indicating that Wang was still thinking about what had just happened. "Still, this scenario looks grimmer than what I imagined. Now that I understand its gravity, I must reach Kyoto and speak with Lee Chaolan at once" Wang then remarked as he began taking several steps away from the scene.

Rodeo joined up with him. "Hold the phone, you plan on going back to Kyoto? But I thought you were headed there the last time we met. Still, what made you come all the way here just to rescue me?" he wanted to know how this old man could even do such things.

"As I told you earlier, I sensed a good spirit that was under the threat from an evil darkness. Also, I wanted to see this darkness with my very own eyes. And I must say, this Revenant is quite an intriguing individual. For some reason, it feels as if he and I have met before" Wang replied to Rodeo's question, and began summarizing his meeting with the mysterious Revenant.

"Intriguing individual, you say? Not to be impolite or anything, but that man unworthy of being called such. In my opinion, a "rotten bastard" is more fitting" Rodeo spoke up, not hiding his open distaste for the cultist.

Wang looked at the soldier, this time with slight eyes of disapproval. Rodeo could notice it and wondered why he did that. "Tell me, Bo Montana. Why in the world were you pursuing this man? Was it because of justice…or vengeance?" the elderly man asked him.

Hearing this really hurt Rodeo in the gut. As such, he began facing the ground slightly. Letting out a deep sigh, the soldier decided to come clean. "It's a little of both, actually. But I let my emotions get the best of me once again. I really regret that" Rodeo replied, feeling that he had let himself be consumed by anger. And that anger alone had almost cost him his own life.

Surprisingly, Wang's expression softened as he heard Rodeo tell him that. "I see. But you're now admitting to your own mistakes. I commend you for it, young one. Few people have the guts to do that these days" the elderly man praised Rodeo, who seemed very surprised yet also pleased to hear it.

As a matter of fact, it made Rodeo chuckle. "I guess not every old man are grouchy, old coots as people say they are. No matter, you are not that type, Wang Jinrei. I wish I had someone like you as my grandad" Rodeo expressed his amusement in learning something from Wang.

And so, Wang and Rodeo continued on their journey to Kyoto, hoping to reach Kyoto and inform Lee about whatever threats that was rising in this divided world.

* * *

 _In the lobby of the Violet Systems HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

The Tekken Force rebels calling themselves Yggdrasil had been on the defensive ever since recent events that had shaken the world. Unlike the majority of the world's population, they knew that Kazuya had been the one to down that satellite and eventually caused the loss of innocent lives. But still, they were uncertain about how Heihachi would now respond to his enemies. Would he rain hell upon them or not? There were so much to be concerned about with regards to the Mishima Zaibatsu's military capabilities.

But in a bar in the lobby of Violet System's HQ, not everyone was as worried as the leaders of the opposition were. In this bar, Hwoarang, Lili, Asuka, Julia, Bob and Sebastian were relaxing by taking some drinks. And of course, Sebastian had taken the opportunity to be the "bartender", making some tea or drinks for the group of fighters. So far, they were having a great of relaxation.

Bob was having himself a can of Coke and it felt refreshing for the round man. "Ah, now that was delicious! Always nice to have a cold can of Coke" the blonde-haired man remarked before proceeding to bang the can with his forehead.

Hwoarang, who himself was holding a can of Red Bull, was in disbelief in how Bob could have such diet. "I don't understand why you haven't developed diabetes yet, given that diet of yours" the Korean man asked before taking a sip from his Red Bull.

Bob didn't appreciate Hwoarang's comment. "Really? Well I'm surprised that you haven't developed maturity, given how old you are" he hit back at Hwoarang.

This made those around them laugh their butts off, with Hwoarang slumping himself in defeat. Apparently, he knew he was alone when it came to poking at people.

"Say, have anyone of you seen Ling Xiaoyu?" Lili suddenly asked everyone as she was taking a sip of her tea.

Hwoarang took the initiative to answer her. "Where do you think? She's up in the medical facilitation room being Jin Kazama's number one groupie" he said, causing Asuka to laugh with him.

"Hwoarang!" Julia scolded the Korean man.

But he simply shrugged his shoulders. "What? I'm simply telling the truth as it is. We all know how that girl always keeps taking his side" Hwoarang responded.

"He's not wrong" Asuka joined in, agreeing with Hwoarang's sentiment. "Still, it's her life. If she wanna carry on being that guy's bitch, then so be it. But I won't come cuddle her once she comes to me crying of regret and all that stuff" the Japanese girl added, still feeling very antagonistic towards Xiaoyu.

"But if you do respect her decisions, leave her alone. Don't make her life more miserable than what it already is" Julia told Asuka and began facing Lili. "Now as for your question. Yes, Xiaoyu's up in that room watching Jin. But she's not alone. Alisa is keeping her company" the four-eyed girl revealed to the rich girl.

"Hmmm, figures" Lili responded before taking a sip from her tea once again.

But as they were relaxing by the lobby's bar, they were approached by a group of fighters that had entered the building. While they were busy with their drinks, Hwoarang did react once he could hear a familiar voice calling to him.

"There you are, Hwoarang!" hearing this voice almost made Hwowarang choke on his drink, yet he managed to sprout it out. The Korean man looked to see where the voice came from. He was filled with disbelief.

"No way…." Hwoarang uttered out those words as he could see none other than his Taekwondo master Baek Doo San standing there wearing a smug expression. But he was not alone. He was being accompanied by the Korean woman named Shuwawei. "Master? You're here…...I mean, what are you doing here? And why's she here!? I don't understand!" right now, Hwoarang was confused.

Baek shook his head slightly. "This is what you ask me first after we meet again? That's just rude, kiddo. You're the one who ran out on me back at Incheon, remember?" the middle-aged man reminded his student.

"Yeah, but I was only trying to…." Hwoarang was trying to come up with an excuse, only for Shuwawei to interject.

"There's no need in hiding your actions, Hwoarang. We know what you've been up to" the Korean woman spoke up with a smirk on her lips.

Hearing this made Hwoarang direct his attention to her. "Actually, you've no say in this. You don't me and you don't know my business!" he hit back at her, only to be grabbed by his ear. This was Baek's doing.

"Cut the bullcrap, boy! And be more respectful towards Shuwawei! She's your senior after all!" he rebuked his student before letting go of his ear.

Hwoarang rubbed his left ear, feeling the pain. But he could see that Baek and Shuwawei were not the only ones who were inside the lobby. The Mexican wrestler named King and the Australian Vale Tudo fighter named Craig Marduk had showed up as well. And not only that, Paul, Marshall, Leo, Eddy, Christie and Katarina were inside the lobby as well. Apparently, they had all been led in by Josie. It didn't take long before this group was received by Lee, Lars and Lei. The charismatic business tycoon was more than happy to welcome them.

"I bid you all welcome to Violet Systems, my friends. My, there are so many familiar faces here. The veteran Taekwondo master: Baek Doo San. And of course, my good old training partners: Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law!" Lee enthusiastically welcomed them.

Baek nodded his head at Lee in a formal manner. "The honor is mine, Lee Chaolan. It's great to see you once again" the Taekwondo master responded to Lee's greeting.

Both Paul and Marshall were more than happy to embrace their old comrade in a group hug. It caught Lee by surprise, yet he didn't seem to mind one bit.

"Hiya Lee! How've been, ol' buddy!?" Paul exclaimed once the group hug was over.

"Oh, I've been perfectly fine, old friend. I trust that you two have been doing good as well?" Lee replied.

Marshall couldn't help but to be incredibly intrigued with what was inside this lobby. "Holy crap! Since when did you become a business mogul!?" the fighter/chef was in awe of the fountains and statues that could be seen.

Lee chuckled in seeing his reaction. "It's a long story, I tell you. But to make it short, my interest in robotics was never lost upon me" he responded, trying to tell Marshall how he became the man he is today.

Lars smiled in what he was seeing. More people were joining their cause. That was only proving to be a huge boon for Yggdrasil in his opinion. He faced Josie, who was more than embarrassed to be looked like that.

"You did a great job in bringing these people here, Josie. I'm grateful for your contribution to our cause" the Swedish man commended her.

The young Filipina struggled to hide her blushing cheeks. "Please, you're too kind, sir" Josie didn't know what to say in return.

"I mean, you managed to even recruit another ex-member of the Tekken Force. Eddy Gordo" Lars remarked before facing the stern-mannered Brazilian man. Despite being given that look, Lars was able to converse with him just fine. "I'm glad to see that you've finally picked the right side" he told the Capoeira fighter.

Eddy crossed his arms. "What are you talking about? I became an enemy of the Mishima Zaibatsu the moment I left the Tekken Force. This enmity towards Heihachi is nothing new" he responded, although he was not yet finished speaking with Lars. "That said, is what the Filipina saying true? Are you guys harboring Jin Kazama?" he wanted to know the answer.

Lars nodded his head weakly. "It is true. I figured you would ask me that given that you were with him during his mission to save Angel" the Swedish man replied. "However, Jin is currently in a coma. He has yet to regain his consciousness" he added.

Hearing this made Eddy raise his eyebrows. "He's been in a coma for that long? Unbelievable" he responded.

Lee, who already had a good idea, decided to have something with old comrades of his. So he motioned for Lei to join with him. "Now listen up, Baek, Paul and Marshall. I was just wondering whether you would like to come up with us to the office and have a little "reunion" party, if you catch my drift. You see, there are two other veterans with me upstairs" he called out to them.

Lars was dumbfounded by this, and decided to ask what Lee's deal was. "Lee. Is this really necessary?" the Swedish man asked him.

"Don't worry, this won't take long. Besides, it will be a little summit for discussion about recent events. Not to mention what to do with Kazuya and the other meanies" Lee assured him.

Realizing how useful this could be, Lars agreed with Lee's suggestion. "Alright. Just don't take too long, okay? Given what has happened in the world, we better start making our move quickly as we can. Heihachi may be isolated, but he will probably find a way to retaliate against his enemies" he pointed out, to which Lee agreed with him.

Inside Lee's office, a little "reunion" party was indeed being held. It was for veterans of the first two King of Iron Fist Tournaments. Lee sat and watched all his fellow veterans sitting there and enjoying himself. The group had been joined by Michelle and Ganryu. Together, they started to relive the good old days of the first tournaments.

"I swear, this feels like déjà vu" Michelle spoke up, facing Paul, Baek and the other veterans sitting around her.

Lei was having fun in this too. "Yeah. Too bad that you're the only girl here. Not that we would've wanted them here, anyway" he spoke while thinking about certain women.

"What do you mean by…...oh. Of course, the Williams-sisters and Kunimitsu. You know honestly, I'm glad that I'm the only girl here. We're still missing Jun Kazama, though" Michelle responded, not hiding her distaste for the two sisters and the rogue kunoichi. "Speaking of which, did any of you guys see them on the way here?" the Native American woman asked Paul, Marshall and Baek.

"Hell no. You know how pompous that blondie is! She's a selfish jerkface. And her sister? I bet she's busy cozying up to being Kazuya's sidechick or whatever" Paul replied.

Marshall had to facepalm in hearing this. "You really have a poor choice of words, Paul" he remarked.

"You did mention Kazuya. May I remind you that he is also a veteran of the tournament? And not to mention that old comrade of his Bruce Irvin" Ganryu pointed out, yet the Sumo wrestler felt himself feeling awkward for saying that. He sighed deeply. "I know, I was partners with them once. But not anymore! From now on, Ganryu is a proud owner of Chanko Paradise. As well as a Yokozuna" he went on telling them what he was currently doing.

Michelle giggled in hearing this. "That's great. It's good to know that at least you have changed over the years, Ganryu" the brunette informed him.

"Yes. That's great. We all have changed over the years, haven't we?" Marshall wondered before looking to face Baek. The Chinese-American man's eyes were filled with slight distrust. "I recall that we were once bitter enemies. You were so hellbent on defeating me and bringing my dojo to ruin. So tell me, Baek Doo San. Are you a changed man?" he asked the Taekwondo fighter in a slight serious tone.

Baek faced Marshall in return. Right now, he was reflecting upon the words he was hearing. They were true. Baek had once tried to bring Marshall's dojo to ruin by besting him in combat. Such methods had only ended up in failure. Taking a long sigh, Baek decided to answer.

"I'm not gonna argue or deny about my past wrongdoings. Yes, I fought you. And I did so for a selfish and stupid reason. But at that time, I was young and reckless. Now that I've grown older and started to train students, I've learned what it truly means to run a dojo" Baek responded while facing Marshall in the eyes. "I'm not a perfect man. I have flaws, which you can tell by looking at my past wrongdoings. But know that I have remorse for those I've hurt. That includes you, Marshall Law. I'm sorry for the hardship I put your through" the Taekwondo master apologized to Marshall.

Marshall, who was surprised to hear such words, was more than happy to accept Baek's apology. "Aw, thanks for that. I swear, I've got this feeling that you and I may become great buddies now that we've outgrown our younger selves" he remarked.

But Paul was facepalming in hearing this. "You have outgrown your younger self? You're still pulling those lame scams and get-rich schemes of yours, Marshall. I wouldn't necessarily call that having outgrown your younger self" the Judo fighter remarked.

"Oh, shut up, Paul!" Marshall hit back at his best friend.

Lee made a coughing sound, which made everyone focus their attention towards him. Apparently, there was something he wanted to tell all of them. "Now, now, old friends. I say we've had enough speaking of the goods times for now. Now it's time that we moved on to more pressing matters" Lee informed them and they all listened with widened eyes. Right now, Lee was being serious. "Another reason or why I called you all here is to discuss the problem relating to the ongoing feud between Heihachi and Kazuya. And there is a person that comes to mind when it involves understanding the reason behind their feud: the revered master Wang Jinrei" the business tycoon revealed to his guests.

"Wang Jinrei? The old man himself?" Baek asked.

"He said he was heading to Kyoto. But he has yet to show up in the city. I hope something bad hasn't happened to him" Michelle expressed her concern for the elderly man.

"We will have to put trust in his capabilities. All of us know how powerful Wang Jinrei really is. Therefore, there is no reason for us to doubt him" Ganryu joined in on the matter with Wang.

Lee nodded his head. "Indeed. While we can count on his support in finding out the truth about this Mishima-feud, I say that maybe we can also start to search the answer to ourselves" he said before facing Lei. "Detective Lei. You know what I'm talking about, correct?" Lee questioned him.

Although he had been confused at first, Lei eventually understood what Lee had in mind. "Certainly. As a matter of fact, I've come up with a solution on how to get more clues about this family feud. I'm gonna head over to Tokyo and ask Heihachi himself, personally" Lei revealed to everyone, much to their utter surprise and disbelief.

"Going over to that ol' man and knock on his door!? Are you serious!?" even Paul couldn't believe his own ears.

"Exactly! Now that Heihachi is under a lot of pressure from the outside world, I believe it's the perfect time for me to come and gain his confidence. Maybe then he will eventually let me in on what he knows" the detective revealed to his friends.

 _To be continued…_


	32. Resistance of Pretenders

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 32: Resistance of Pretenders**

 _Inside Violet Systems HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

Steve Fox had been relatively quiet this day. With encouragement from Lars, the young man had taken a test that would determine whether he was in some way related to the Mishimas or not. True, Steve had been curious to know where he got those powers from, but he also dreaded finding out the answer. As it turned out, the young British man got the answer he was seeking. Even so, he had decided from now on to keep this little secret to himself…...except for Lei and Lars perhaps.

Right now, Steve was approaching the bar where some of his friends were already hanging out. He felt relieved hoping that he could blend in with them and pretend that nothing strange was happening. But he could see that there were some other people at the bar, such as Marduk and Shuwawei. He had not seen them at the tournament. Sebastian was acting as the bartender for the time being, probably at Lili's orders. Still, Steve approached his friends, deciding to mingle with Hwoarang.

"Ah! Hey, Steve! How's it going!?" Hwoarang asked as he sat on a bar stool along with Shuwawei, Marduk and King. Steve took his seat besides the Korean man. "Call me crazy, but I feel that you've been acting distant since we got to this HQ. Is something the matter?" he then wanted to know whether Steve was doing okay.

Steve was feeling very reluctant to reveal the things he had learned. Therefore, he had to come up with a lie. Cursing silently to himself, the British man answered his friend.

"Oh, I'm fine! It's just that I've been feeling quite stressed out about what's been happening recently. You know, the recent downing of that bloody satellite and all nasty things. But I'll manage just fine" the young boxer informed his friend. He then took a glance at Shuwawei, who also sat beside Hwoarang. Their eyes soon met one another. "I don't think you and I have met before, miss. My name's Steve Fox" he introduced himself like a typical gentle man.

Shuwawei was amused by Steve's mannerism. "So, you are the famous Boxing prodigy that's been making headlines recently? I'm amazed with your reputation" she said before reaching out a hand to Steve. "It's nice to finally meet you in person, Steve Fox. My name is Shuwawei and I'm a Taekwondo master back in Seoul" she told him in a polite manner.

Steve's blue eyes widened slightly. "A Taekwondo master, you say? How neat!" he commended the young woman's title before something hit in his head. "Hold on, are you Hwoarang's sister or something?" he asked her.

When Hwoarang heard that question, he sprouted out what he was drinking, much to the disgust of not only his friends, but to Sebastian as well. He didn't appreciate such lack of manners.

"Sacré bleu! What is with you!?" the butler demanded, feeling disgusted with what Hwoarang was doing.

Hwoarang coughed a little before angrily facing Steve. "Hold your horses! Shuwawei is NOT my sister! No! No way! No way in hell!" he angrily denied it. But the impulsive man was at the same time facing the young woman with a dirty glance. "She's just an old accomplice of my master's. They trained together in Taekwondo before. However, Master Baek seems to value her too much…" Hwoarang sounded miserable as he said those words.

Despite being given such look, Shuwawei dismissed it with a scoff. "Here we go again. Always gotta find a reason to be resentful towards me. Seriously, when will you grow up, Hwoarang?" the Korean woman quizzed him, feeling very tired of Hwoarang's immature behavior.

"Shut it, Shuwawei" he muttered lowly in return.

Meanwhile, Marduk had grown curious to know of the relationship between Hwoarang and Shuwawei. "So, who are you supposed to be, kiddo? You her boyfriend or somethin'?" Marduk suddenly asked Hwoarang out of the blue.

This time, not only Hwoarang, but Shuwawei as well, reacted furiously to what was being said. However, Hwoarang seemed to have taken this question more personally than what Shuwawei did.

"Boyfriend!? No way in hell!" Hwoarang lashed out against the Vale Tudo fighter.

"Tch, don't get your man-panties in a twist, I was asking nicely!" Marduk hit back at the repulsive Korean, who didn't fear backing down from a confrontation.

"Well, now you know it, so don't ask me anymore stupid questions, Mr. Steroids!" Hwoarang started insulting Marduk's physical build.

Hearing this immediately stoked the anger inside Marduk, and he was this close to unleash his brutality upon the Taekwondo fighter. "What did you just call me!? You better take back what you just said before I bruise your only eye, wannabe pirate!" the muscular man threatened Hwoarang, his face getting closer to Hwoarang's.

King facepalmed as he watched his best friend get into this meaningless confrontation with Hwoarang. "Por favor…why is this always happening every time we hang out together?" the masked luchador wondered aloud as he kept observing the argument between Marduk and Hwoarang.

Steve had only been watching this episode with a bored expression. He groaned a little while rubbing his face. "I swear, could this day get possibly any worse?" he wondered to himself, feeling tired of listening to such nonsense.

"Calm down, both of you!" Steve snapped once he heard a very familiar voice coming from behind. Gathering enough courage, he looked over his left shoulder to see Leo standing there. The German girl was resting her hands on her hips. "You know the rules Mr. Lee gave us. No aggressive behavior inside this building! Show some respect for the rules" Leo continued in scolding them.

Marduk, who was feeling awkward in getting scolded by a little girl, decided to cease his kafuffle with Hwoarang. "Oh, I'm not doing anything. I'm just waiting for my drink! Hey, bartender! One mug of beer for me, please?" he said while ordering Sebastian, who seemed more than happy to do hat for him.

Hwoarang scowled in what Leo was doing. But before he could even open his mouth to protest her meddling, he was immediately slammed on the back of his head by Shuwawei. "Ouch! What did you that for!?" he asked her while rubbing his sore head.

"It's simple, really. Your immaturity knows no bounds!" she rebuked her fellow Taekwondo fighter. But Shuwawei formed a gentle smile towards Leo. "Thank you for interfering just now. Hwoarang here lacks control over his impulses" the Korean woman told Leo, much to the outrage of Hwoarang.

Still, Hwoarang didn't bother open his mouth to protest, so he kept his mouth shut. However, he soon took notice of Steve starting to act rather uneasy. It was like he didn't want to speak with Leo. Hwoarang couldn't help but to wonder why.

Leo eventually took notice of Steve sitting on the stool, and she smiled. "Oh, hi there, Steve! Long time, no see!" the German girl called out to him. But the British man didn't respond to her, making Leo feel confused. "Umm…...Steve? Are you there?" she called out to him once again.

Hwoarang nudged his friend. "What's with you, dude? That chick's calling out to you. Be a man and say something in return!" he lightly scolded Steve for his unusual behavior.

Gulping, Steve slowly turned around to look at the German girl. A part of him felt very uneasy by just looking at her. But could he blame himself? Steve had just discovered a terrible truth and he felt reluctant to share it with anyone, especially Leo. Still, he knew that he had no reason for antagonizing the German girl. Their relationship was healthy, despite a brief quarrel they had while staying at Lee's mansion on the Bahamas.

Leo watched as Steve got off the barstool and approached her. She put her hands on her hips by seeing this. "Honestly, can you please tell me what your deal really is? You're looking so….." the blonde-haired girl was interrupted when Steve put a hand on her right shoulder, facing her directly.

"We need to talk. Just you and me. Alone" Steve finally had the courage to say what was bugging him

In response, the German girl was dumbstruck by what Steve was saying. "Okay…but why do we need to talk? I mean, what's on your…" rather than standing around, Steve led Leo out of the lobby. She wanted to protest first, yet she stopped once she could see the hurt in Steve's blue eyes. This only convinced her that what Steve wanted to talk with her about something private and personal. "Steve…" Leo was stunned in seeing the expression on Steve's face.

Hwoarang, who had been watching the scene between Leo and Steve, felt himself getting smug. He supposedly knew what this was all about. "Aha! I get it now!" he exclaimed with a cocky grin.

Shuwawei raised an eyebrow while glancing at Hwoarang. "What do you get?" she was confused.

"Isn't it obvious? Steve's got a crush on Leo! That explains his reluctance to talk with her at first. But now, he's taking her somewhere private to confess his feelings for her!" Hwoarang revealed to his fellow Taekwondo fighter.

She only stared at him flatly. "Is that what you're suggesting?" she wondered, deciding to not give him anymore attention.

But Hwoarang was not the only one to have taken notice of the scene between Steve and Leo. On a table not far from the bar, Bob, Eddy and Josie were each taking notice of the scene. Bob was taking a bite from a hamburger as he watched them leave.

"Gotta say, Steve's been acting odd since he came to this building. Not that either of you guys have any knowledge of his characteristics, that is" Bob remarked.

Eddy narrowed his eyes. "Well, I guess there's something more to him than meets the eye" the said before facing Bob. "Tell me, did you say that he was capable of manipulating electricity to his fighting? In the same manner as the Mishimas can?" the Capoeira fighter asked him.

Bob nodded. "Yup. He did that, except that he mostly used his punches instead of kicks. And that's understandable considering how Steve's a boxer and all" the chubby man spoke up.

"Still, that fact leaves me with many speculations. However, I'm not the type of guy who interrogates people for answers. That's not my style" Eddy responded.

Josie faced Eddy, smiling at him for some reason. "Speaking of your style, I've heard many different opinions about you while I was in the Tekken Force, Eddy Gordo. But most of them say that you were too soft when dealing with enemies. Not that I believed in what they were saying or anything like that" the young girl pointed out.

Eddy was having his arms crossed while leaning against the wall. The words he heard coming out of Josie's mouth was starting to bite him for some reason. This only made Josie wonder about whether she had said something wrong.

"Honestly, I could care less about what they thought of me. They can have whatever meaningless opinions they want. I still won't be judged for making an attempt to save my master" the Capoeira fighter replied, yet the man with the dreadlocks soon found himself lowering his head when thinking about his late master. Even though it had been weeks since his death, Eddy still mourned him. "But sadly, not even the super advanced medicines of the Mishima Zaibatsu were not enough to cure my master. Still, I don't regret making an attempt to save him! The only regret I DO have…..is that my actions brought pain and suffering to not just people of the world….but also those who I cared for" Eddy became emotional as he thought about Christie and what she was doing.

Josie, feeling bad for what Eddy had gone though, tried her best to comfort his pain. For some reason, she saw a lot of herself in Eddy, except for minor differences.

"That sounds terrible. I can't imagine what pain you must be going through" the Filipina spoke in a sad manner, trying her hardest to hold back her tears. But no matter how hard she tried to suppress them, the tears fell out. "Your reason for joining the Tekken Force…...it sounds so…...touchy" Josie sobbed, realizing that she now needed to comfort herself.

Eddy, seeing how sad Josie was, decided that he would perhaps do something in order to make her calm down. Without even thinking, the Brazilian man started patting Josie's head gently. This surprised the Filipina, as she didn't expect someone to try and comfort her.

The Capoeira fighter formed a weak smile as he looked at the teary girl. "I know what you are thinking, girly. But trust me, I've gotten over the worst part of those times. While there's still a long way to go, I'm keeping my head up high" Eddy told her, but soon noticing that he was being looked at. He did observe across the lobby and saw both Katarina and Christie staring at him. Knowing that they had been observing him for a while, Eddy responded by giving them a nod.

Christie was happy to see how Eddy was willing to comfort someone, so she waved back at him. Katarina only shrugged her shoulders in return, acting as if she was not surprised by what she saw. In fact, she couldn't help but to form a smirk with her lips.

"Hmm…your friend sure knows how to look tough on the outside. I admire him or that" Katarina spoke up.

"Yeah. Eddy has always been a big brother figure. You see, he was the one who taught me the art of Capoeira while my grandpa was in jail" Christie began memorizing the good times she shared with Eddy. But as she said those words, the Brazilian girl couldn't help but to feel sad given that she mentioned her late grandfather. She sighed sadly. "Many days have passed yet my grandpa still hasn't been buried yet. I feel so bad for leaving Brazil in order to search for Eddy. Perhaps it would be better if I just stayed home and waited for him to come back" she then said, feeling tears coming out of her eyes. But she shut them, not being willing to let them out this time.

Katarina, who had grown friendlier towards Christie since they first met, attempted to ease her pain. She was perhaps the least person who would show sympathy towards anyone, yet Katarina still had a heart whenever the situation required it. Christie felt herself calmer when the young woman touched her right shoulder.

"Don't hold back your tears, Christie. Let them out. You must always stay true to your own feelings, remember?" Katarina encouraged Christie. It didn't take long before the Capoeira fighter began sobbing onto her. Katarina responded by patting her back, thus comforting her. "There, there, moça. It's going to be alright. As a matter of fact, I think we should all return home to Brazil. Burying your grandfather may perhaps bring closure to this grief" she spoke up with a soft voice.

Looking at Katarina, Christie weakly nodded her head with teary eyes. But she was surprised when she noticed how Katarina was saying something. "Wait…...you said "we". Do you also wanna come along with us?" she sniffed as she asked the woman.

"You heard me right! I've had it with this country. Everything that has happened here so far has been nothing but disaster. Plus, we almost got ourselves vaporized by that blast from above a few days ago" Katarina spoke up her wishes.

Still, Christie was confused. "But what about your objectives? I mean…...what about your dad?" she asked Katarina, wanting to know whether she was keen on giving up searching for him.

"Oh, him?" Katarina asked before curling her lips into a smug expression. "I still wanna find him. But like I said a couple of days ago, I don't think my father was being kept as a hostage in the Millennium Tower. He's out there somewhere. But right now, I can't help but to feel an urge to help you and your angry friend over there in getting back to Brazil. You deserve to see your grandfather…..or at least pay respect to him for what he was to you" she continued.

Christie couldn't believe what she heard Katarina say. But on another note, she felt somewhat happy to know how someone like Katarina was willing to put aside her own personal objectives in order to help her and Eddy get back home to Brazil. But then again, something told Christie that Katarina also wanted to return home. After all, their stay in Japan had caused so many terrible episodes.

"Alright. Then we'll find a way home together! Just the three of us!" Christie spoke up with determination in her expression much to the amusement of the older woman.

Inside what appeared to be a conference room, Steve had taken Leo to have a private talk with her. The German girl could see the pain on Steve's expression, indicating that he didn't want anybody else to know what he was about to reveal.

"Steve…...why do you look so…sad?" Leo questioned him, feeling a little sympathetic towards the British man in the process.

Steve finally had enough courage to speak with Leo. But on the other hand, he felt incredibly reluctant in doing so. "As you may recall, I've always been curious to know my origins. And most recently, I couldn't help but to notice that I have somewhat a connection to not just the Mishima Zaibatsu…but to the family as well…" he explained.

Leo's eyes widened in surprise. "What…...you say you're somewhat…...linked to the Mishimas? But I don't understand" she responded to what Steve said.

For some reason, Steve felt agitated in what Leo told him. That is why he decided to get more real with the blonde-haired girl. "Leo…there's no point in trying to put on this mask. Just stop…..." he told her.

Even so, Leo was dumbfounded at that statement. "Put on a mask…what in the world are you saying, Steve? Have you gone nuts or…" she was interrupted by an angry voice of Steve.

"Quit playing dumb! You think I don't know about you snooping around my personal files!? I've learned that you somehow managed to get into hold of Dr. Kliesen's files! Those files contained all sorts of info about me! She was trying to figure out the identity of my father…..and she succeeded" Steve spoke up, his voice as angry as it could get. However, he still managed to keep his temper in check. Leo gasped as she was being told those things. Steve glanced at the German girl, tears falling out of his eyes as he did that. "But you…...you knew who I was, didn't you? Even before I told you my name, you knew about my past as a test subject! So why…why didn't you tell me who my father was!? Was it because of you carrying a grudge against that bastard!? Answer me!" he demanded an answer out of Leo.

After being asked that, she was in deep thought for a couple of minutes. Leo couldn't help but to lower her head slightly. Was this an admission of guilt? Steve saw it that way, given that he had discovered how Leo had secretly been searching through the works of her late mother. Leo's fists clenched tightly.

"It's just as you allege…...I knew who you were…...all this time…." Leo admitted lowly. But she suddenly found the strength to lift her head up and face Steve in his eyes. "After the previous King of Iron Fist tournament, I began searching through files of my mother. But they had been spread across the globe after her murder. I first started the search by finding clues in a G Corp train in Germany. Eventually, it led me to the conglomerate's office in Jakarta, Indonesia. By then, I had managed to collect every file of my mother's, as well as discovered the research she had been working on. And it was all about your paternity" she continued explaining the truth.

Steve could only stand and listen to what Leo was telling him. His hart shattered on the inside, something Leo carefully took notice of. Still, the German girl felt the need to continue speaking with Steve.

"I take it Violet Systems has helped you in uncover the truth about your birth. That means you also must've gained knowledge about my infiltration of the G Corp. Look, I didn't want to deceive you, but in my heart, keeping this a secret from you was the right thing to do" Leo then revealed to him.

"So what now then? You know all about me, let alone the fucked-up family I come from! Are you planning on taking your anger out on me for what happened to Dr. Kliesen?" Steve bitterly asked her.

Surprisingly for Steve, Leo got up to his face, looking directly into his eyes. "You're wrong! Why would I do that!? You're not the one who killed my mother, let alone caused her death! You talk as if you're to blame for what happened to her. But trust me, Steve, my mother would've never put the blame on you" the young spelunker informed him, thus forcing Steve to back away by a few steps. "My mother was a wonderful human being! In some ways, she could be seen as an angel. She also knew that you were brought to this world as an experiment. Therefore, you didn't deserve to live such a life. In her eyes, you were a human being who deserved to live as one. That's why she was willing to lie to Dr. Abel and her former superiors at the Mishima Zaibatsu about you dying from the drugs in the experiment. That's why she was willing to put you up for adoption and make sure you stayed hidden from the Zaibatsu's eyes. And that's why she was willing to make sure that you never found out about your identity as a Mishima. She did those things because she knew that you deserved a better life" Leo continued speaking, getting emotional as she mentioned her late mother Emma.

Steve felt himself getting emotional in the process. He still remembered the kindness he received from Emma during his early childhood. Tears continued to stream from his eyes.

"Emma…" he uttered out the name of the person who had treated him as a human rather than as a lab rat.

Leo realized that she would need to show some understanding towards him. "I know how traumatizing it must've been for you when you learned everything. After all, the one who killed my mother…was none other than your true father…the same man responsible for your connection to the Mishimas….…" she revealed to him what Steve had learned on his own.

"HE'S NOT MY FATHER!" Steve yelled out in rage. But he soon calmed himself, realizing his error in taking his anger out on Leo. "No, I'll never consider him as such…not after what he did to Emma…as well as what he has done to the entire world….…I owe neither him nor the rest of his family nothing! The only debts that I owe…...is to Emma and my adoptive family. The Mishimas? They can keep their damn name" he then muttered in bitterness.

Leo weakly nodded her head towards him. "I see. There are several details about your blood relations to him that remains to be discovered, but I can feel that you are content with simply knowing the simple truths" she spoke softly before reaching out a hand towards him. "Steve, even though your parent killed my parent, it still doesn't mean our friendship has to die. Ever since I learned about you, I slowly started to give up my quest for vengeance. Justice for my mom, that's the only thing I seek now. So how about you and I can start this friendship over? If my mother was here, I'm sure she would've approved of it" Leo told him in a friendly manner.

Steve looked at the gesture of friendship Leo was offering him. The young boxer knew that he would need a good friend at the moment. As a matter of fact, his friends were what he could rely on. He couldn't rely on either his parents nor their families. But a part of Steve wanted to hope that his mother Nina Williams would one day come to accept him as her son. But such would have to be a miracle. He also doubted that if he told Nina that she was injected with another man's sperm during her cryosleep, she would believe him. There were so many things that had taken place.

Smiling, Steve shook Leo's hand, agreeing to rekindle their friendship. "Alright. Then let us both do what we can for this world. There's a lot of people who are suffering. How about we make sure that those adults or children don't experience the same things we did?" Steve asked the young girl, who was more than happy to agree with him.

"Absolutely" she firmly responded.

But as they shook hands, a voice came from behind and it interrupted both Steve and Leo in their attempt to rekindle their relationship. It was Lars, who seemed to have been listening to their conversation so far. The Swedish man smiled at Steve, who was surprised to see him standing there.

"How long have you been listening to us?" Steve questioned him, yet Lars didn't seem to give much thought.

"Long enough to know that you two are good friends. But still, I will be more than happy to keep this between you two" Lars responded before facing Steve with a reassuring expression. "And as for you, Steve Fox. I gather how hard it must be for you to know that you're that man's illegitimate son. I can sympathize with you on being unjustly connected to the Mishimas and their machinations" he added while showing sympathy towards Steve.

Steve greatly appreciated this talk, yet something hit in his head. "Hold the phone. Now that I know about my Mishima roots…...are you my…half-uncle or something?" he questioned the Swedish man.

Leo was confused, yet only Lars seemed to know what Steve was asking from him. "To be honest with you, I'm not so sure. After all, you and I have both been unwillingly dragged into the Mishima family and its convoluted history. Still, you and me will always be comrades, make no mistake" Lars explained.

"Bloody right! Then I'll have to say this: it pains to be Jin Kazama's half-brother, but it's also relieving to know I'm your half-nephew" Steve then said with a smirk on his face, much to the amusement of Lars.

The Swedish man seemed pleased to know that Steve was willing to be on his side. As such, Lars knew that he and Steve would get along just fine. But even as he was getting new allies, Lars understood the gravity of the situation. From what he also gathered, Lei wanted to go and seek some intel from Heihachi himself. He was wary about this, yet understood Lei's intentions. Lars would have to confer with his friends for more details.

* * *

 _Inside a medical facilitation room_

So far, Jin Kazama remained in a coma while being held up in Violet System's medical facilitation room. But even as he was unconscious, he was having company in the form of Xiaoyu and Alisa. Since she came to Violet System's HQ, Xiaoyu had barley left Jin's side. The Chinese girl was determined to keep watch over him not matter what. Even now, she was sitting close to Jin's bed. Her eyes had not moved anywhere besides Jin. Inside, Xiaoyu was pained in seeing the man she secretly loved lying unconscious on a hopsital bed.

However, Alisa had started to worry about her friend's total obsession with Jin. "Are you sure you don't wanna come with me to the lobby? I am certain that you must be hungry and thirsty. You've been staying here for hours" Alisa politely asked Xiaoyu, who was facing Jin with a deep frown.

"No. I don't wanna go down and waste time with people I don't care about. Seeing to Jin's recovery is my top priority" Xiaoyu responded.

Being given this answer only made Alisa more concerned for her friend. "I don't know, Xiaoyu. We can't be sure whether he will awake or not. Perhaps there must be….." the android was interrupted by the angry voice coming from her friend.

"If you don't have faith in Jin, then I suggest you get out of here! I don't have time for such meaningless nonsense, Alisa" Xiaoyu raised her voice at Alisa, who was taken aback by such behavior.

"Xiaoyu…" Alisa couldn't believe what she was hearing from her.

"You know, you got some nerves lashing out against a friend that really sympathizes with you" Xiaoyu angrily turned around to see none other than Asuka standing in the room, but she was not alone. Lili and Julia were also seen accompanying here. Asuka had been the one who had spoken, the Japanese brunette fixing her disapproving glance at Xiaoyu. "I mean, I don't get what she sees in a groupie like yourself" she added while crossing her arms.

Xiaoyu rose up from her seat and clenched her fists tightly. "You know nothing about the friendship me and Alisa share, so back off! Now why are you three here?" she hit back at Asuka while demanding an answer to why they were in the medical facilitation room.

Lili couldn't help but to giggle. "Oh, it's no particular reasons. I only followed Asuka because I suspected she might seek a confrontation with you" she answered, only to be nudged in her elbow by Julia. The four-eyed girl didn't appreciate what Lili was saying.

"That's nothing but lies and I can see them clearly. Anyway, if you girls just wanna come here and throw insults at me, then I'm not gonna pay attention to you!" Xiaoyu spat at the three girls.

Julia felt the anger take hold upon the Chinese girl, so she decided to intervene in hopes of mediating this upcoming confrontation. "There's no need to get hissy with us, Xiaoyu. We're only worried about you" the four-eyed girl explained.

Still, Xiaoyu was not so receiving. "Too bad for you. Because I don't need your worrying!" she hit back.

Alisa was stunned in how hostile Xiaoyu was becoming, so she stepped in. "Xiaoyu, that's not a nice thing to say. Julia is only trying to help" the pinkette tried to ease her fears, but to no avail. Xiaoyu was still on the offensive.

Asuka, unable to accept such behavior, decided to confront the Chinese girl. She was having enough of Xiaoyu and her attitude. "That's it! I'm sick and tired of listening to your cavalier-attitude! A dose of butt-whooping would perhaps help you get rid of it!" the brunette spoke up, already cracking her knuckles.

But Xiaoyu had only responded to Asuka's aggression by doing the same thing. "Try it, and I'll send you straight to the dentist!" the Chinese girl snapped, sounding much more aggressive than what she used to be.

As a fight between the two girls was inevitable, Julia and Alisa were each concerned about how fast it was escalating. Lili, on the other hand, was secretly having fun in watching this.

"Oh my, this seem to be going well. A pity that I didn't bring with me some popcorn and drinks" Lili thought as she observed the confrontation between Asuka and Xiaoyu.

"Just cut it out, girls! Remember there's a patient lying in here! Show some decorum, for crying out loud!" Julia pleaded to them, but it was too late.

"SHUT UP AND STAY OUT OF THIS!" both Xiaoyu and Asuka said in unison, neither girl wanting any interference

Alisa couldn't fathom how each of these girls were so antagonistic towards each other. The android couldn't help but to wonder whether Jin had something to do with this hostility that had built between them. But then again, she only had limited knowledge about Jin's relationship with other people.

"I wonder what would've happened if Jin was able to see this. Would he have intervened in order to stop them fighting? Either way, he seems to be the root of this animosity between Xiaoyu and Asuka" Alisa thought while analyzing both girls.

Asuka and Xiaoyu were about to clash, until someone immediately stepped in between those feuding girls. It was Lee. The eccentric business tycoon had caught wind of Asuka, Lili and Julia entering the medical facilitation room, in which Xiaoyu had been standing in. That's why he felt the need to stop them from clashing.

"Stop this! Both of you! Have you young ladies forgotten my number one rule!? I do NOT tolerate violence or aggressive behavior in my building!" Lee reprimanded Xiaoyu and Asuka as he made sure that he was blocking them from going at each other.

Julia and Lili then managed to pull Asuka away from the confrontation, even though the Japanese brunette was not finished lashing out against Xiaoyu. "JUST YOU WAIT! I'M GONNA GET YOU FOR REAL NEXT TIME!" she yelled, yet soon disappeared out of the room thanks to the efforts of Julia and Lili.

Xiaoyu had only stuck her tongue out towards Asuka, yet she soon lost interest in her and refocused her attention on Jin. She took her seat, still feeling the need to watch over her close friend.

Lee, who had taken notice of the pain that was building inside Xiaoyu, stood at her side. Based upon the expression on his face, Lee seemed less than pleased with how the Chinese girl had been acting lately.

"Tell me something, Ling Xiaoyu. Is it worth holding onto these feelings towards him? You do realize that he's not the same Jin Kazama you knew from Mishima High, correct?" Lee spoke up, yet Xiaoyu was ignoring his words of advice. The silver-haired man let out a deep sigh in response. "Giving me the silent treatment? How needlessly rude of you. After all, Jin is alive because of Violet System's generosity. You ought to be careful not to treat me with such disrespect" he added.

This only made Xiaoyu angrily direct her attention towards Lee. "You shut up! I'm not gonna be lectured nor judged by people who doesn't know a squat about the friendship between me and Jin!" the Chinese girl snapped at him. But Lee could notice small tints of tears coming from her eyes. "You, Yue, that tramp Asuka, as well as gramps himself, you know nothing! So you've no right to interfere with my life!" she added in a miserably manner.

Hearing this made Lee raise an eyebrow at her. "You honestly have the nerve to badmouth the revered master himself? Now that's just low. Wang Jinrei is wise beyond his years. You ought to be thankful to have been trained under the likes of him" Lee scolded Xiaoyu for her comments.

Still, the Chines girl paid no heed to him, having already decided to ignore the business tycoon. Seeing this rejection only convinced Lee to leave her alone. And he thought Alisa would be better off not being near Xiaoyu while having this miserable attitude.

"Alisa. Lars has been asking for you. He said he wanted to have a little chat with you and me. Why not come with me so we can see what it is?" Lee called out to her.

The android quickly nodded. "Right!" she replied and walked up to Lee. But as she exited the room, the pinkette couldn't help but to look over her shoulder to see Xiaoyu sitting there by herself. As much as Alisa wanted to keep convincing her to leave the room, she knew that Xiaoyu was stubborn when it came to Jin. Realizing that she would stay with Jin, Alisa continued following Lee out of the room.

This left Xiaoyu alone with the man she deeply loved. But as she sat there alone and watched Jin lying on the bed unconscious, something hit in the Chinese girl's head. It was an admission of failure on her part. She recalled that there was something she had not done something long ago. So far, Xiaoyu had yet to confess her feelings for Jin. But every time they had met, she would always lack the courage to do so.

"Back when I assisted Jin in rescuing Angel…I could've confessed my feelings towards him…but I didn't…..." she lamented her mistake in not doing this sooner. "Sometimes I can't help but wonder…had I confessed my feelings for Jin before he went through these disasters…would he have been a different man than what he is now?" Xiaoyu was lost in thoughts by only searching for an answer.

But a part of her eventually understood that whether she had confessed her feelings for him or not, it would've made little impact upon Jin. The burden he would later carry on his shoulders would still haunt him. So yeah, it was too simplistic to be thinking about such things.

* * *

 _In an alley behind a bar, Kyoto, Japan_

Miguel Caballero Rojo had gone through much for the last 24 hours. That is why he had been finding himself getting drunk while slurring words in the alleyways of Kyoto. But the reason for why he had been behaving this way was because of what he had almost succeeded in doing a few days ago. He had almost avenged his dead sister.

While staying at Violet System's HQ, Miguel had been snooping around the corridors in order to find where Jin was being kept for recuperating. The moment he had laid eyes upon the man who was behind his sister's death, the thirst for vengeance consumed him. Miguel was about to finish off Jin while he was in his coma, only to be interrupted when Lars, Lee and several other fighters encouraged him to spare Jin. From that point, Miguel had been in an emotional battle over his own control. And at the end of the day, the aggressive Spaniard had chosen to spare Jin, surprisingly prevailing against his anger. Still, what Miguel had done was not an act of mercy. True, before leaving the building, he had warned Lars and the others that should Jin kill more innocents, he would die.

Ever since that moment, Miguel had spent the last few days at the local bars, getting drunk while occasionally being dragged into bar brawls. He had always been thrown out at the end, probably due to him starting those brawls. Feeling incredibly miserable, the aggressive Spaniard had spent most of his time in the alleyways of Kyoto. What his next plan was, he himself didn't know.

But right now, Miguel was taking a leek on a trash container. From his behavior, he seemed to be partially sober, yet the stench of alcohol was still to be seen. There were other people in the alleyway he was standing in, yet Miguel didn't seem to care about what they were exposed to. Once he was finished urinating, the aggressive Spaniard let out a deep burp.

"Dios mio…...that felt great…...I swear, this intoxication is killing me. But at the same time…...I feel like I…" Miguel's cheeks became bloated, so he threw up inside the trash container. Apparently, there was too much alcohol within his head, and he felt dizzy. "Mierda…." Miguel cursed as he began coughing into the trash container.

The majority of people in the alleyway was mostly bums or drunkards spending most of their time getting wasted while being away from public eyes. Still, neither police nor the city's authorities bothered dealing with them.

After finishing in getting rid of some of the intoxication, Miguel proceeded to walk through the alleyway. He ignored the stares he received from the bums and drunkards. And someone had enough balls to bump into him, that person would feel Miguel's fury.

Miguel growled as he continued walking, starting to lament everything that had happened so far. "This is just perfect! I don't know where I should go next! I would like to return to España, but I don't know how to get back now that all of Japan is under martial law" he expressed his dismay with the situation he currently found himself in. Along the way, Miguel kicked an empty bottle out of anger. "Everything has turned into bullshit! All that I wanted was to kill that bastardo Jin Kazama for what he did! But for some reason…I chose not to!" he summarized his attempt to kill Jin.

The Spaniard, while being resentful of not killing Jin, knew deep down inside that becoming a mindless avenger that sought nothing but blood of his enemies was fruitless. Indeed, Miguel knew that had his sister been alive to witness him commit such acts, she would've been horrified of him. And that would've led to her distancing herself from Miguel, as well as viewing him as a monster instead of a brother. Miguel could never outlive such rejection. His sister had been the only family he had left, given how his parents had disowned him.

"Yeah…I chose not to kill him…...because I wanted to prove that no matter how brash and pissed-off I am…I still carry a sense of humanity within me" Miguel noted to himself, finally starting to come to terms with his decision to spare Jin. But still, it pained him to recall the image of his dying sister. It was horrible for him to even relive such a tragic loss. Out of frustration, Miguel punched a nearby pipe. "Hijo de puta….I'm starting to feel my own life slipping away!" he cursed, almost as if he was leaning against the wall of bricks.

Miguel soon fell down to his knees, his face kissing the wall as he did that. Right now, the Spaniard didn't know for sure what to do. Still, he realized that needed to come up with something. He could not end up getting lost in thoughts for all eternity. But as Miguel kept lamenting his confusion, his ears caught wind of something. It was a cunning voice, but where did it come from?

Miguel turned around a corner and entered a tiny alleyway that had buildings on every side. Needles to say, it was a dead end. Even so, Miguel continued to search for the origins of this voice. To his utter wonder, it came from the asphalt itself! Or perhaps more specifically, it came from a sewer drain. Miguel wondered whether this was due to the intoxication, as he refused to believe that a sewer drain could talk. But as he got closer, Miguel realized that a conversation was taking place in the sewer below where he was standing. Once he snuck up to get a little peek on what was down there, his eyes widened in surprise.

Believe it or not, there were someone in the sewers far below Miguel. The Spaniard could see that one of these people was a hooded man wearing a gas mask. Unbeknownst to him, that man was Revenant, the cultist from the Acolytes of Pluton. But he was not alone, as he was joined by a couple of cultists. But Miguel could see someone else being standing down there.

It was the leaders of this Resistance: Taiga Miyagi, Isaak Licthenfeld, Rumi Kusakabe and Hu Yue. They were for some reason standing in this sewer hall meeting up with Revenant. But for what reason? Miguel had no clue who either group, so he didn't give much thought. But he did indeed feel the need to eavesdrop on what they were speaking of.

"I am thankful that you could come, leaders of the Resistance. Please excuse my choice for our meeting, but I prefer not to draw unwanted attention" Revenant spoke, his voice ringing hallow in the sewer hall. "Now then, shall we get down to business? I bet there must be so much to discuss with the current affairs that's going on above us" he cultist added.

Isaak scowled in return. "What's there to discuss!? Haven't you been following the events, recently!? Innocent civilians across the globe has died as a result of the Mishima Zaibatsu downing their own satellite!" he spat at him.

"Calm yourself, Isaak. There is no need for you to fill him in about those tragedies" Taiga calmly told his friend, yet the Japanese man was turning his serious attention towards Revenant. "But my friend does make a good point. There is nothing to be positive about. And that leads me to this question. Why exactly did you choose to make contact with us?" the Japanese man questioned the stranger in a wary manner.

A deep chuckle came out from Revenant, causing both Isaak and Rumi to almost launch their aggression towards him. But it soon ended, and Revenant decided to answer Taiga's question.

"Why, because the Acolytes of Pluton and the Resistance share a common foe in the form of the Mishimas. Don't you feel the urge to launch a full-scale assault upon either the Zaibatsu or the G Corp? Just admit it, you want that to happen!" the cultist explained.

"So? That doesn't make us friends!" Rumi barked at him, the tough woman crossing her arms in dispassion. "Besides, the Resistance may lack the military superiority that our enemies have, but we pick our fights wisely. I mean, how do you bozos do things?" she rudely questioned them.

For some reason, Revenant held up his right metallic hand. It didn't take long before dark energy began enveloping around it. And if that wasn't enough, the eyes on his mask glowed purple. It became apparent to the leaders of the Resistance that Revenant was demonstrating his power in front of them.

"I wield power that none of you could ever imagine. As a saying in our order goes: one must never shy away from a power that can bring you victory" Revenant informed them. "With this and the Acolytes of Pluton at my disposal, I will bring order to this world by announcing the return of the Gods of Old. Only they can return to everything as it should be" he went on telling them.

Yue couldn't help but to become dumbfounded at his statement. "I don't know about you guys, but I think that guy's a total wackjob. I mean, there's no way we can trust someone like him" she whispered to her comrades.

But for some reason, Taiga had remained unfazed while witnessing Revenant's power. For what reason, his friends didn't know. His eyes narrowed as he kept glancing at Revenant. "From what it looks like, you seem to be offering us an alliance. Is that what you are asking for?" he then spoke up.

"More than that, Taiga Miyagi. While the Acolytes of Pluton will be more than happy to assist your movement, we demand compensation in return. And I thought you would be more than kind to do that" the masked man responded.

"Tch, what compensation is it you're talking about? You want us to give you money or something?" the Israeli man asked, only to be nudged on his elbow by Yue. "What?" he couldn't understand what her deal was.

Rumi, who had grown to become more trusting towards Revenant, decided to be more real with the cultist. "Obviously you must be seeking our assistance against certain foes of yours. The Resistance cares little for what other lousy organizations do, but who are these foes of yours, besides the Mishimas?" she wanted an answer.

"I take it you know some of these individuals I speak of very well, Rumi Kusakabe. I believe you know the girl named Asuka Kazama, a distant relative of Jin Kazama" Revenant spoke up.

Hearing that name brought fury into Rumi's eyes. "That little bitch…" she cursed while thinking about the brunette she despised to much.

Revenant could see that the leaders of the Resistance knew what he was trying to explain, so he decided to go deeper into the list. "However, my greatest concern as of now, is some old fool by the name of Wang Jinrei. Surely, you have heard of him, have you not?" he revealed.

This time, it was Yue who was fuming with rage. The Chinese girl thought about the old martial artist she had once trained under. She could see how Revenant was glancing at him, much to her irritation. "What? What are you staring at me for!?" she asked him.

"It's nothing, really. But it would seem to me that you know Wang Jinrei very well. May I ask how you know him?" the cultist spoke with intrigue.

"That's none of your damn business! My grudge towards that old bastard is not to be exploited with! So back off, you lousy scavenger!" the Chinese girl snapped, feeling very aggressive.

Taiga stepped forward, so that Yue was unable to take her anger out on Revenant. "The Resistance would normally reject allying ourselves with the likes of you. But…..considering the dire threat that we face from our enemies…..a mutual agreement could perhaps be beneficial to both of us" the Japanese man spoke up, thus surprising his comrades.

"Hold on! Since when did we decide to ally ourselves with….." Isaak was interrupted when Revenant spoke up.

"A wise decision. And trust me, our alliance WILL be beneficial. As a matter of fact, I am offering to plan our next move with you. You see, I have a perfect solution in how to end this ongoing conflict between the Mishimas. This is something the Acolytes of Pluton and the Resistance can both accomplish together. But we must stay strong" the cultist spoke up, praising Taiga's decision.

"If we are to become allies of convenience, then you will reveal to us everything you know…about the Mishimas…about their allies…..and about Jin" Taiga spoke up, surprisingly sounding very demanding.

Revenant nodded his head in response. "Of course. As a matter of fact, how about I introduce you to another ally of mine? She will be instrumental in our plan to defeat the Mishimas" the cultist said before something began emerging out of the shadows.

The leaders of the Resistance stood on their guard, as they found this creature to be horrendous. It was the seductive vampire named Eliza. This time, however, she was not sleepy as usual. She smirked as she faced the leaders of the Resistance.

"What a lovely bunch of strong fighters. Each of you look healthy" she remarked before specifically looking at Taiga. "Especially you, handsome" Eliza then added, yet Taiga was not amused with her attempts to woo him.

Isaak, on the other hand, was captured by Eliza's appearance. "Woah…that girls got a fine body!" he remarked.

But neither Yue nor Rumi were impressed with what they heard Isaak utter. "Is that the first thing you say when you stumble across a monster-like woman!? Get some glasses, Isaak!" Yue scolded him, yet the Israeli man didn't seem to care.

As a matter of fact, he tried to act flirty towards Eliza. "So, what kind of a creature are you cosplaying, babe? Is it a succubus? Man, you're a really naughty girl if you do that" Isaak spoke up in a smug manner.

But he got quite the opposite reaction. Eliza was furious with being called a succubus, so she was on the verge of launching an assault upon Isaak. "How dare you!? I am no succubus! I am a vampire!" she snapped at him.

"A vampire, you say? Well, gee, that's odd. I mean, since when does vampires have horns?" Rumi replied to what she was hearing.

Before Eliza could unleash her fury upon Rumi, Revenant intervened, thus preventing her from doing that. "Save your energy, Eliza. There will be plenty of time for you to unleash your powers. And may I remind you about which blood you really wanted to taste?" he pointed out.

Hearing this made Eliza smirk, licking her lips in satisfaction. "Yes…..I could really need blood….but not just any ordinary blood…the blood from an exorcist…yes! That is what would satisfy me the most!" Eliza exclaimed as she raised her arms in the air. She even faced upwards. But it didn't take long before she noticed something. Eliza smirked. "Oh my….we seem to have a eavesdropper above us" she spoke in a cunning manner.

"What! Who is doing that!?" Revenant barked, the masked cultist also looking up.

It didn't take before everyone else did the same thing. Apparently, they were looking up to the sewer drain, where they could actually see Miguel's face through the openings. The Spaniard soon realized that he was getting caught.

"Mierda! They've spotted me!" Miguel cursed as he tried to get up. "I need to get outta here! And fast…otherwise I'll think I….I…." Miguel suddenly felt his cheeks bloating and he felt the need to throw up. He was still intoxicated. Before he himself knew it, Miguel threw up through the sewer drain. The puke fell through it all, much to the disgust of those under.

But unfortunately for Eliza, the puke landed on her. She screamed in disgust, given that it was covering her entire body, from top to toe. Isaak, Yue and Rumi all laughed in what they were seeing.

"AAARGHHHHH!" Eliza yelled hysterically as she was covered in puke. "YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU THROW UP ON ME!? I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!?" the vampire really wanted to go after him, only to be blocked by Revenant.

He didn't give much thought to chasing after Miguel. "Let him go. He was just one of the many drunkards passing out above us, which would explain why he was hanging above the sewer drain. But then again, that fool will soon forget every word we've said so far. That's why we have no reason chasing after that bum" he assured his allies.

Isaak couldn't stop laughing. "Now THAT was HILARIOUS! It's not everyday you got to see someone throwing up on a sexy lady!" he exclaimed while looking at a fuming Eliza. "Oh hey! You managed to get some in your cleavage as well! Oh, man! That's freaking funny!" he added.

"You shut your mouth, human dog! Otherwise, I will….." Eliza suddenly fell asleep, much to everyone's surprise, minus Revenant. Apparently, her tantrums had cost her a lot of energy. And given that she was narcoleptic, it only helped getting her sleepier.

Yue glanced down at the sleeping woman. "I can't tell whether she's so sleepy or taking too much drugs" the Chinese girl noted as she watched Eliza sleeping.

"But listen, guys. That drunkard we saw. He looked kinda…..familiar" Rumi started to recall whether he had seen that guy somewhere before.

"Whoever he was, that man didn't seem to be a spy or any kind of lackey of the Mishimas" Taiga concluded, realizing that Miguel was of no interest to him at all. The Japanese man then turned his focus to Revenant. "Very well. The Resistance and the Acolytes of Pluton will form an alliance of convenience. But it will only last until Heihachi and Kazuya Mishima are defeated. Make that abundantly clear!" he told Revanant, making sure he was listening carefully.

"Splendid. I would like to tell discuss our plans with you, but sadly we must wait until poor Eliza has awoken from her sleep. She also has a part to play in it" Revenant spoke up in return.

"The in the meantime, why don't you fill in on who your enemies really are? If we are to become allies, then you will have to be willing to let us know more about you. Wouldn't you agree, Revenant?" Taiga requested of him.

A sigh was being let out by the masked man. "You are as persistent as the rumors say you are. Very well, I will fill you in on what is at stake. But bear in mind that I am only doing this for our common goal in ending the Mishimas' reign" Revenant assured Taiga about his promise.

 _To be continued…_


	33. Wooing and Swooning

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Wooing and Swooning**

 _Inside the new G Corporation HQ, Jakarta, Indonesia_

Since he managed to bring down the Mishima Zaibatsu's satellite death ray, which then resulted in his father being ostracized from the international community, Kazuya Mishima had triumphantly returned to the G Corporation's new HQ in the Indonesian capital to celebrate his recent victory. Because of his accomplishments, pressure had gone off the G Corp and its operations. People across the globe was more outraged by the loss of innocent lives than Kazuya's hideous Devil-form. That worked perfectly to Kazuya's advantage. It would only be a matter of time before the world would call for a savior to stand up against the mass-murderer Heihachi Mishima. After all, the International Criminal Court was about to issue arrest warrants for the Mishima Zaibatsu's leader. And Kazuya would delightfully take the chance to become a "savior" once again.

Inside his office, Kazuya was musing to himself as he witnessed his closest associates celebrate before him. Bruce Irvin, Anna Williams and Lucky Chloe were each drinking beverages to their hearts' content. Bruce held a can of beer, Anna held a glass of vin rouge and Chloe was drinking from a bottle that had her trademark on. But from the looks of it, there were other reasons for why Kazuya had summoned his closest associates to his office.

"What's this all about, Kazuya? Don't you wanna loosen up a little and celebrate? I mean, come on. We're regaining our status as heroes. The war has turned in our favor" Bruce spoke up after drinking from his beer can.

Kazuya narrowed his eyes on something on his desk. Believe it or not, the Japanese man had pictures of a certain individual beneath him. It was the detective from Hong Kong Police: Lei Wulong. But for what reason would Kazuya have for having those pictures?

"I wouldn't be celebrating our victory just yet, Bruce. We may have gained the upper hand for now, but the war is still ongoing. It only ends when Heihachi lies six feet under" Kazuya responded to Bruce's easygoing encouragement.

"Whatever. I still don't get your deal, honestly" Bruce spoke up, shrugging off Kazuya's determination.

"I will have to agree with Bruce here" Anna said, surprisingly standing in agreement with the Muay Thai kickboxer. "Besides, you really don't expect that lousy son of yours to be a threat to you now, do you? Perhaps you should refrain from dwelling upon such farfetched speculations, Kazuya" the brunette told Kazuya before taking a sip from her glass.

Kazuya let out an irritated sigh. "Why must you two be so simpleminded sometimes?" he wondered while rubbing his face as if he was facepalming.

Even Lucky Chloe was confused at her superior's behavior. "Sometimes, it feels amazing that I'm even working under someone like him. But hey, it's all business and pleasure" the teenage girl noted to herself before taking a slurp from her bottle.

But amidst this celebration, the door to the office opened and in came a young woman with blonde hair. Judging from her attire, she seemed to be a scientist. She looked quite beautiful. The moment she stepped inside the office, the scientist immediately bowed her head towards Kazuya with uttermost formality.

"Mr. Mishima. I came here as quickly as I could!" the woman spoke up.

Hearing this made Kazuya smirk. "Ah, perfect timing, Jane. Among this conglomerate's scientists, you are the only one I can put my trust in. It was right for me to place you in charge of the research team behind the JACKs. Your knowledge about robotics is greatly appreciated in the G Corporation" he complimented the efforts she had contributed to the G Corp.

Jane almost felt the need to blush, yet she managed to keep herself composed. "I…I humbly appreciate your feedback, sir. It means a lot to me, as well as to the rest of my research team" the scientist responded kindly.

Anna couldn't help but to smirk as she observed Jane's behavior. "When you speak of your research team, does that include JACK-7?" she questioned Jane, who couldn't help but to glance at her in a confused manner. Anna chuckled in a sassy manner. "Don't be so clueless, I've seen the way you treat that giant tin man, as well as how he behaves when you're around him. To me, it seems as if you and him are…" the brunette's teasing took an end when Jane responded.

"I've n-no idea what you're talking about! And please, leave JACK-7 out of this! He has nothing with our research team to do!" she hit back at her.

But still, Anna continued teasing her. "Really? Well, this reaction you're showing tells me otherwise" the brunette pointed out.

Jane was fuming. "You know nothing what goes on there!" she retorted.

"Anna's got a point" Bruce spoke up, taking a drink from his beer can before facing Jane. "You really do care too much for him, let alone the other JACKs you create in your division" Bruce spoke up.

Before Jane could open her mouth to retaliate, she was stopped when she could hear Kazuya get off his seat and approach the scientist. This made her lose interest in bickering with Anna or Bruce. From the look on his face, Kazuya was still smiling at Jane. But still, the young scientist couldn't grasp the fact why.

"Ignore their childish taunts. I did not bring you here just so you could argue with my associates. The reason why I have done that, Jane, is because I have a job for you and your research team. You see, I plan on arranging an exhibition for the G Corp in Tokyo. And I will require someone who can lead it and act as my representative. Therefore, I have decided to pick you to be in charge of this exhibition" Kazuya revealed.

This brought a good feeling inside Jane. She couldn't believe in what she was hearing her boss say. "You really m-mean it!? You want me to host the G Corp exhibition?" she was stunned while asking whether Kazuya was serious about it

"I do" Kazuya firmly replied.

Feeling so much joy, Jane quickly bowed her head towards his superior once again, resisting to urge to cry. "Thank you so much, sir! I'll promise, I'll be the most terrific exhibition host this conglomerate has ever seen!" the young scientist responded.

"But bear in mind that I've not chosen to place you in charge because I favor you and your research team the most" Kazuya suddenly pointed out, thus forcing Jane to tone down her excitement a little. "Other research teams will be on this exhibition, including the ones behind Gigas and Alex. I want you to put a unified picture for all our research teams. There will be no biases. Is that clear?" he made sure that the young scientist got what he really wanted.

Gulping, Jane tried her best not to disappoint her superior. She lowered her head slightly. "Y-yes! Yessir! Your wish is my command!" the blondie demonstrated her loyalty towards Kazuya.

"Good" Kazuya expressed his satisfaction before turning his attention to Lucky Chloe. "And of course, the exhibition will need someone who can lure people to it. That is where you come in, Chloe. At the exhibition, you are to host an autograph booth. But I'm not letting you do this for fun. There is a certain person of interest that I would like you to place a wire on" he told the blonde-haired girl.

Chloe's eyes widened as she heard what Kazuya was telling her. "W-what? I mean, I'm up for signing autographs and all…...but a person of interest? Who would that be?" the teenager quizzed him, feeling a little puzzled.

Kazuya then started showing Chloe and his associates several pictures of Lei Wulong. "This is the man you will be placing the wire on: Lei Wulong, a detective from the Hong Kong Police and an agent of Interpol. According to some of my secret sources, he has along with a couple of agents from the United Nations been working to uncover the so-called secrets of the Mishima clan. And now my sources tell me that they are in league with Lee Chaolan and Lars Alexandersson" the Japanese man revealed to them, although he was specifically facing Chloe.

"Wait a minute…...I know that guy! He was at the party in the Rochefort Mansion in Monaco" Bruce recalled of where he had seen Lei before. "Tch, but then again, he and I have a bad history together. At some time in the past, that cop bastard defeated me in the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2. I'll never forgive him for that" he couldn't help but to mutter angrily about what had happened between him and Lei.

"Are you still feeling sour over that loss? You need to move past that episode Bruce" Anna chided her partner.

"Back off, Anna! A diva like yourself have no right to lecture me about being a sore loser" Bruce hit back, hinting to the sibling rivalry that existed between Anna and Nina.

Anna, realizing how pointless it was to reason with Bruce, decided to ignore his attempt to take a jab at her. Rather, she decided to focus on Kazuya. "Anyway, you're saying that this buffoon is somewhat linked to Lee and Lars? If so, then how do you expect to lure him to this exhibition? Given that he's an agent for Interpol, he most likely will get suspicious when hearing about it" the brunette questioned her boss.

Kazuya smirked and held up a picture. "Simple. He can't possibly shy away when Chloe is having an autograph booth at the exhibition" he explained and showed them a picture of Lei. Believe it or not, he was actually wearing a Lucky Chloe t-shirt while doing Chloe's signature pose. On that picture, Lei could be seen smiling. He was most likely doing this in his office or something. "Lei Wulong appears to be a fan of your music videos, Chloe" Kazuya continued.

Chloe herself was completely dumbfounded by what she saw on that picture. "You gotta be kidding me…I have a 40-something old cop…...as a fan?" the young otaku was filled with disbelief and dismay in seeing how someone as old as Lei was a fan of hers.

Both Anna and Bruce laughed out loud in seeing this. But they weren't the only ones. Even Jane, who had so far been quiet and reserved, couldn't help but to giggle. Even so, Chloe felt humiliated in what her superiors were doing right now.

"Seriously!? That cop is a fan of your lame dance moves!? Now that's just sick, girly!" Bruce commented, still laughing his butt off. He was laughing so loud that he almost managed to lose his can of beer.

Anna had also problems to stop laughing. "Dearie me. Your fanbase must really be THAT messed up if you have grown-ups like him following you!" the Irishwoman teased Chloe, joining Bruce on mocking the teenager.

Despite getting laughed at, Chloe was not crying. In fact, the otaku was fuming with rage in being ridiculed. "Shut up, you dirty buttholes! You know nothing about my fanbase!" she hissed at them, yet they continued laughing, much to her distress. "I don't understand! My fanbase is strictly targeted towards girls and boys at my age, not old geezers like that guy! Heck, even my fan club says that" the young cosplayer went on to explain the age requirement for becoming a fan of hers.

Bruce couldn't help but to grin at her. "Tch, you know that age requirements don't work on the Internet, these days. People can tell lies about themselves whenever they want to or not. That's why grown-ups can become members of your fan club. Perhaps it's time that you stopped streaming and started doing something more productive for once" the Muay Thai kickboxer came up with an "advice" for the teenager.

"And I may have a solution. Why not start modelling?" Anna came up with a suggestion, although it was done out of mockery. "But then again, your body's too scrawny, not to mention that you lack my feminine charms" the Irishwoman continued in mocking the teenage girl.

Lucky Chloe didn't appreciate what Bruce and Anna were doing. But before she could retaliate, she noticed Kazuya taking close steps towards her. This made Chloe lose all focus on Bruce and Anna.

"Pay attention, Chloe. Do you know what I see? Are you willing to partake in this job?" Kazuya sternly questioned her, not showing any signs of pleasantries in his voice.

While a part of uneasiness did exist within the otaku. Chloe quickly brushed it off as nothing but butterflies in her tummy. She seemed more than confident to partake in this mission, given that she would be able to meet her fans. But still, Chloe couldn't stomach the fact that her fame reached to middle-aged people as well.

Saluting with her right paw-like glove, Chloe symbolized her undevoted loyalty to Kazuya. "Absolutely! Your wish is my command, sir! When there's an autograph booth involved, there's no way I can turn down such a splendid job" the blondie informed her superior, not wanting to disappoint Kazuya.

Kazuya mused to himself in seeing Chloe's loyalty. "Excellent. Your talents will instrumental in luring Lei Wulong to the exhibition. While you are giving that oafish cop your autograph, try impressing him with some of your moves. That will most certainly give you an opportunity to plant the wire upon him without getting noticed" Kazuya informed the teenager of what she was supposed to do.

Although she understood the steps she had to take, Lucky Chloe was still curious about the reason she had to put a wire on a cop. Therefore, she decided to ask Kazuya.

"I hate to be rude, but for what reason are we pursuing that doofus? I mean, shouldn't we be pursuing Heihachi or other persons of interest?" Chloe questioned him.

Kazuya crossed his arm while he was in deep thought. "As I already told you, that detective and several agents are on a mission to learn about the Mishimas. But there's more to that, actually. My sources indicate that they have been secretly snooping around to find out traces from my mother's clan, the Hachijos. The fact that those sneaky bastards are doing that…...only really fills me with nothing but a desire to kill them!" the Japanese man's anger was on full display for his associates to see.

For some reason, Bruce and Anna could understand how Kazuya was feeling. He only wanted people who had nothing to do with the Mishima-feud to stop poking their noses in somewhere they didn't belong. They would not interfere and spread more lies about Kazuya's family, especially from his mother's.

"That is why I am having that bumbling detective wiretapped. So that I can learn more about his shenanigans. And don't worry, this wire will be placed where neither of those meddling agents will see it. Our eavesdropping must be held secret" Kazuya went on explaining his plan.

"A sound plan, Kazuya. Perhaps if we're lucky, we might as well learn the current whereabouts of Jin. Then we can put an end to whatever plan Lee has up his sleeves" Anna spoke up, not so much as hiding her contempt for Lee.

"He and the rest of his allies will have to wait. For now, the G Corp will be concentrating its war effort on the Zaibatsu" Kazuya pointed out, yet he couldn't help but to smirk as he said that sentence. "With the entire world now up against him, Heihachi will be completely isolated in his war effort. That will only make things easer for us" he continued explaining his plans.

All of his associates seemed to be in agreement of Kazuya's plan. So far, he had proven to be quite the leader when they were up against Heihachi and his machinations. As long as they followed under him, their victory was assured. But how much longer would they need to be in this war?

* * *

 _Inside the Umeda Sky Building, Osaka, Japan_

This tall building in Osaka was one of the city's most recognizable. It was where famous Japanese companies such as Toshiba were having their offices. Another important trait with the Umeda Sky Building was the bridges and escalators crossing the atrium-like space between the two 40-story towers that defined it. And right now, something was about to take place inside.

On one of the escalators, two individuals were standing there heading upwards towards the building's lookout. The first one was the Saudi Arabian man named Shaheen. The other one was the Egyptian woman named Zafina. For some reason, these two Arab fighters were heading to the top of the Umeda Sky Building. They both looked up to see if they were expecting someone at the top. The lookout was the place that connected the two towers of the Umeda Sky Building.

"Was this really worth the travel? I am not sure if I can fully trust him, Shaheen" Zafina questioned her partner while looking at him.

She could see that Shaheen was in deep thought right now. From what the young woman could tell, a part of him felt uneasy with what they were doing. But another part of Shaheen was seeing this as a necessity.

"I too have doubts. But given what we have witnessed, we cannot afford to wait for our enemies to come and find us. You and I are perhaps the few people besides the Mishima Zaibatsu who knows about the atrocities Kazuya Mishima are capable of committing. Innocent lives perished when he downed that satellite" Shaheen explained, yet he soon turned his gaze at Zafina. "And given how this man is someone who possessed knowledge about the darkness that lurks in this war's shadows, it is only imperative that we participate in this meeting of his" he added before returning his gaze upwards.

Before coming to Osaka, Shaheen and Zafina had "infiltrated" the Mishima Zaibatsu Victory Celebration Banquet in Taito. At first, they had started mingling with the guests, as well as watch the many activities that were happening at the banquet. But when Heihachi was starting to give his speech to his guests, things changed dramatically. It was at that time when the global incident, that had caused many human lives across the continents, began. Satellite parts from the destroyed satellite each crashed into different counties of the world, almost as if they were meteorites. Both Shaheen and Zafina had themselves witnessed the chaos, and they also experienced the uproar that had been nurtured against Heihachi and his Zaibatsu.

But the day after the incident, the two Arab fighters had been contacted by a very person they knew from earlier circumstances. He requested that they meet on the top of the Umeda Sky Building in Osaka. Given that they knew who that man was, they decided to come. However, Zafina was still having her doubts about whether to fully trust this individual.

Once the duo arrived at the escalator's end, they looked forward to see none other than Claudio Serafino sitting and waiting for them in the hall. He was sitting on an antique stool, facing them in his usual smug demeanor. Even so, neither Shaheen nor Zafina felt any obligation to smile in return. But Zafina was the first to speak up, starting by looking around in the hall they were in.

"Quite an odd choice for a meeting, Claudio Serafino" the Egyptian woman remarked, her eyes never leaving sight of the exorcist.

"Saluti, Zafina e Shaheen. So glad you could come. It has indeed been a while since we last spoke" he greeted them while leaning on his stool as if he was relaxing. "But then again, that ridiculous tournament did not give us the luxury to socialize and relive the good times" Claudio then added, trying to be somewhat ironic.

"Spare us your irony, exorcist. You should not speak as if we were close comrades" Shaheen reminded him, yet wanted more clarification from Claudio. "Now then. Explain yourself. Why did you ask us to come here? And how do you know of the things we have seen?" he then asked.

Claudio stroked his slick hair. "Come now, there is no need for such hostility. I know what each of you have been through. And for that, you have my deepest sympathy. Nobody wants to be made out a casualty of war by Heihachi Mishima" he answered, trying to be understanding towards the situation the two Arabs before him had experienced. "And that is not all. Like you, I also know for a fact that Kazuya was the one responsible for downing that satellite" Claudio then added.

"Of course. Despite what the international media wants us to believe, neither me nor Zafina believe Heihachi was the one to do such. Yet still, a madman like him deserves no sympathy" Shaheen pointed out, trying to assure Claudio that they knew who it really was that had downed the satellite.

Zafina couldn't help but to look around for a minute. As soon as she was finished, she directed her stern attention towards the sitting exorcist. "What is the meaning of this? Do you take us for fools!? We know that you are not alone here!" she spoke up, feeling an urge to draw out her daggers and launch herself towards Claudio.

Despite seeing the hostility Zafina gave him, he simply laughed it off. "How very observant of you, signora. And yes, there are others here with me. But let me assure you, I have no plans on assassinating any of you. In fact, I have come her to offer you a hand of friendship" the exorcist revealed to them smugly.

Shaheen and Zafina stood on their guard as several people emerged out of the darkness. One by one, they revealed themselves for the Arabs to see. They know who each of them was, given that they too participated in the tournament. They were Bryan Fury, Feng Wei, Armor King, Sergei Dragunov and Kunimitsu. Each of them stood in a spot.

"Who the hell are they?" Bryan rudely asked before turning his aggressive eyes towards Claudio. "Don't tell me that you're planning on recruiting these terrorists to our alliance" the cyborg then expressed his dismay.

Shaheen got up to Bryan's face, his eyes narrowing in a calm rage. "First of all, you saw us back at the tournament, so you do indeed recognize us" he rebuffed Bryan, but it didn't stop there. "And second of all, I would appreciate if you took back what you just called us! Neither me nor my companion takes pleasure in causing harm to innocent people!" Shaheen was getting more confrontational towards Bryan.

However, he merely grinned in a sadistic manner. "You mean you lack the guts to kill? Now that's just pathetic" the pale-skinned man remarked, having no regret for this attitude he had.

The Saudi Arabian man felt the urge to teach Bryan a lesson in respect, yet he held back his anger. In Shaheen's mind, it was not to be wasted on the likes of weak bullies such as Bryan.

"I present to you an alliance of convenience formed between me and each of these individuals. We call it L'ordine, just for short" Claudio explained to his friends.

This made Shaheen confused, as he understood what the word meant. "The order? What is this order then?" he questioned the exorcist.

"And what drives each of you to stick with that exorcist?" Zafina wanted some answers, soon taking notice of Dragunov, who was standing by himself. "I am even astonished to see someone like you cooperate with others, White Angel of Death" she noted, addressing the Russian soldier by his nickname.

Still, Dragunov didn't give much thought about Zafina. Surprisingly, he looked away with a huff, indicating that he was not interested in conversing with the Egyptian woman.

"Just to be clear, we haven't agreed to this alliance just to make friends" Kunimitsu suddenly spoke up, her voice hinting to displeasure. Still, the kunoichi couldn't help but to curl her lips into a smirk as she faced Zafina. "However, it's always nice to have another woman in this alliance, especially if she's an assassin like myself" the masked woman then noted.

Hearing this made Zafina glare at Kunimitsu dispassionately. "You, an assassin? I beg to differ your reputation, kunoichi. As far as I know, you are but a common thief" she rebuffed Kunimitsu's attempt to put herself in the same league as hers.

Kunimitsu crossed her arms in return. "Speak for yourself. If I recall correctly, you so-called "spiritual warriors" are not so different from me when it comes to preserve our reputations. We will stop at nothing to achieve that" the red-haired woman then tried to compare herself to Zafina's people.

This really felt like a slap in the face for Zafina. She could not let it slide when someone dared insulting her people. As such, she slowly rested her hands on her daggers, yet she didn't draw them out. However, Kunimitsu's jab had really set the spark of her anger.

"You will not speak ill of my people again! If not, then I will demonstrate the consequences" Zafina hissed at the masked kunoichi.

"You challenge me? Well, I can't say no to that" Kunimitsu responded as she pulled out a kunai.

But both women stopped their confrontation when they could hear clapping coming from Claudio. The exorcist had raised up from his seat and was now approaching the Middle Eastern duo. Apparently, he was clapping his hands in order to ease the hostilities between Zafina and Kunimitsu. That explained why he had risen up from his seat.

"Le signore. Please refrain from starting such unnecessary fights. It does not serve in each of your interests" Claudio kindly requested the two women. The exorcist then turned his direction towards Shaheen. "You wanted to know what L'ordine is? Well, I already told you. This is only an alliance of convenience. Each of us has different goals. If they can assist me with my goal, then I can assist with theirs" he went on to answer what Shaheen had been asking him.

"Yet for the last days, we have only been focused on assisting you with your goals" Armor King spoke up, the masked wrestler not hiding his resentment.

But Feng was not as convinced as Armor King was. "You forgot to add your goals as well. By that, I mean the ridiculous car chase you did in Kyoto. To think that we spent hours looking for some brawny buffoon when we could have done something much more productive" the Chinese Kenpo master pointed out.

Armor King glared at Feng, his animalistic rage being exposed due to his growling. "Do not test my patience, Kenpo payaso! My hunt for Craig Marduk is something you will never understand!" he clenched his metallic gloves.

Feng fixed his dragon-like eyes upon Armor King. "Were you wise, you would have refrained from confronting me. I am someone you would not underestimate" he warned Armor King about attacking him.

As much as the masked luchador wanted to unleash his bestial rage upon Feng, something told him not to. After all, the rage he carried was only saved for one person: the murderer of his late older brother.

"If I may ask. What is your goal, Claudio Serafino?" Shaheen wanted to know from the exorcist.

Claudio smirked. "Oh, that's simple. You see, I am on a demon hunt. But while I do consider Kazuya Mishima to be a dangerous foe, I am more concerned about the power of his son: Jin Kazama. His demonic powers…..has the potential to surpass that of his father's" he explained what he had done for the last few days.

Zafina's eyes widened. "Jin Kazama…..." she was speechless. "But that man has been missing in action ever since the incident above Tokyo…...you cannot possibly think that he is alive…after that powerful explosion" the Egyptian woman could not believe in how Claudio was believing in such things.

"Apparently, you underestimate him, Zafina. After all, you do remember that he survived his battle against Azazel. None of us could have ever foreseen that" Claudio reminded her.

Zafina had to admit that he was right. Jin had not only survived his battle against Azazel, he had defeated the creature as well. That was something Zafina, her fellow spiritual warriors or even her guru failed to predict. But then again, neither she nor her people fully understood the truth, as only a man with the Devil Gene could defeat Azazel. They had previously assumed that Lars Alexandersson would be the one to accomplish such. Yet although Lars had fought against Azazel, the demon was never defeated for real.

"Yes…Jin Kazama is full of surprises…...and enigmatic individual, indeed" Zafina spoke up, agreeing with Claudio's assessment. "But I still find it hard to believe such notions. How can you even be certain that he is alive?" the assassin then questioned him.

"There have been a lot of suspicious activity taking place in Kyoto lately. Even now, there are rumors telling me that rebels of the Tekken Force are hiding somewhere in that city. And there are several persons of interest that I believe could give us some clues about the whereabouts of Jin" the exorcist replied.

"Tch, you would have taken that ridiculous assassin if you hadn't been distracted by the satellite parts that were crashing towards the Earth" Kunimitsu recalled to how Claudio had almost succeeded in catching Nina, only to fail when he was distracted.

Claudio groaned in irritation when Kunimitsu brought that up. "Per favore. Is it really necessary to bring that up? Besides, you were also distracted by the crisis while you fought that swordsman" he made sure the kunoichi remembered her own failed attempt to get Yoshimitu's sword.

"Shut up, fool" Kunimitsu muttered as she heard that.

"Enough with this meaningless chit-chat!" Shaheen interrupted them, making sure that Claudio was focused on them. "Claudio, from what I gather, you are seeking new members of this order of yours. You wish for us to join it?" he wanted to make sure he got what Claudio was asking for.

"I never said anything about joining L'ordine. You see, that is not how it works. All that I want is to extend my hand of friendship towards you and Zafina. By that, I mean cooperation" Claudio corrected his friend.

But Zafina was not so convinced. "Makes little difference to me" the Egyptian woman replied sternly.

Claudio chose to ignore that and continued on. "That being said, we will work together to further each of our own aims Surely you two must have some that you would love to see come to fruition. If I recall correctly, you said you wanted vengeance against Kazuya Mishima" the exorcist made Shaheen recall one of his most terrible memories.

The Saudi Arabian man was slightly angered when that subject was being brought up. Still, he didn't give into his anger. As a matter of fact, Shaheen calmed himself as he faced Claudio. "Apparently you have been misinformed. It is true that I wish to stop Kazuya. Not out of vengeance, but out of justice. The many victims that has suffered because of his actions cannot have their deaths gone in vain…just like my friends" he recalled the reason why he was secretly carrying a grudge against Kazuya.

Claudio nodded his head in understanding, surprisingly exchanging sympathetic expressions towards Shaheen. "I know. You are still grieving for the loss of your friends. And for that, you have my condolences. Being an exorcist, it is not in my nature to mock peoples' grief. That also proves the fact why Kazuya must also be stopped" the Italian man revealed, speaking in a soft voice. "Believe me, friend, Kazuya will answer for his crimes. The same goes for his son. You probably realize by now how dangerous it is for one of them to be left out to walk freely" he then tried to make sure Shaheen was seeing the picture.

Shaheen was in deep thought at the moment, but Zafina seemed more than willing to converse with Claudio. "If we agree to cooperate with you, will you dedicate yourselves to protecting this world's citizens?" she asked him firmly, much to his surprise. But Zafina soon began dragging the other fighters in this discussion. "All of you know how futile it is for us to fight for selfish goals when there is a war that threatens to destabilize this world. Are all of you willing to put aside your own personal objectives and help us in saving the innocent lives?" she was surprisingly becoming outspoken.

Bryan snorted. "You don't have to sound so damn pushy, girly. I'm only in this game for cracking a few skulls. Besides, I see no downside with the war continuing. What's there to be so upset about?" the cyborg exclaimed, thus showcasing his sadistic tendencies.

"Demented maniac. Endless conflicts bring you neither peace nor satisfactions. But sadly, I think reasoning with you is fruitless" Zafina rebuked Bryan, yet he didn't seem to care about getting scolded.

"Peace and satisfactions do not last forever, señorita. They vanish the moment you grasp them within your hands" Armor King spoke up, expressing his opinions that were in contrast to Zafina's.

Zafina narrowed her eyes at the masked luchador. "Maybe so. But they are much more preferable to hold onto than endless hatred and thirst for vengeance" she pointed out.

Armor King growled in what he heard her say. "Do not test me, woman!" his anger could be heard underneath his black jaguar mask. It only added more to his bestial rage.

"I have made my decision" everyone snapped as they heard Shaheen speak up his mind. He directed his serious glance upon Claudio. "Very well. I will agree to this cooperation. But know this, exorcist. Should I ever encounter deceits nor treacheries, you will answer for them" the man with the shemagh warned him, wanting to be abundantly clear that such things would not be tolerated by Shaheen.

"Bene. You made the right choice, Shaheen. And I can assure you that I will keep my word. The only thing I ask of you is that you do the same thing" Claudio told him before glancing over to Zafina. "I assume that you are uninterested in this. If so, then I will be more than humbled to show you the door…" before Claudio could continue with acting all courteous, Zafina interjected him.

"I am not leaving. If you are as honest as you say you are, then perhaps it would only be natural that I enter this alliance. But bear in mind that I am not doing this because of trust you, Claudio Serafino" she pointed out, causing Claudio to chuckle in amusement.

"I know, I know. Just relax and let your doubts and suspicions fly away" the exorcist tried to ease her distrust of him.

None of the other members of L'ordine showed any reaction to Shaheen and Zafina becoming new members of this alliance. But Kunimitsu was perhaps a little amused to see another woman becoming a part of it, and given the fact that they shared some similarities. But it would take a long time before she and Zafina would ever get along. The kunoichi understood that perfectly.

"But now that I have become a part of this L'ordine, I demand that you reveal to us something. Tell us what you know about the Acolytes of Pluton" the Egyptian woman wanted some info.

Claudio's eyed widened in surprise. "The Acolytes of Pluton…...how…how do you know of them?" even he was surprised.

"You underestimate our skills in uncovering truths, Claudio" Shaheen spoke up, crossing his arms in the process. "Recent activities have only demonstrated the fact that Kazuya and Jin are not the only beings of darkness that lurks in the shadows. There is a third one. One whose identity remains a mystery. The one calling himself…Revenant" he revealed to the exorcist what he knew.

Claudio was stunned. He actually felt a little unease on the inside in hearing Shaheen uttering out that name. Still, that name was no mystery to Claudio. He knew who he was, let alone the shadowy followers he led. Feeling more than obliged to inform his new allies about what he knew, the exorcist decided to tell them.

"I see. I knew that there were shadows lurking around Japan, but I never imagined that he would be one of them" he remarked, letting out a deep sigh in the process. "Very well, I will tell you what I know about the Acolytes of Pluton" he then conceded.

* * *

 _Violet Systems HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

The sun was shining in the skies above Kyoto, but there was already action at Violet System's HQ. At the entrance of the building, Lei Wulong was being seen off by Lee Chaolan and Lars Alexandersson. But the detective was being accompanied by the two agents: Master Raven and Raven. Somehow, they were planning on leaving Kyoto, although they were doing so for a particular reason.

"Are you sure about this, detective? Asking directly at Heihachi's door for an interview sounds very farfetched if you ask me" Lee wanted to understand why Lei was willing to do this.

"Lee has a point. And because of recent events, Heihachi has been shutting himself off from journalists and the rest of the media. He doesn't trust anyone but himself" Lars spoke up in agreement with Lee.

"Look, I know this may sound unrealistic, but I believe that since the old coot is now globally isolated, he will take in everyone willing to talk with him. He may also feel tempted to reveal the secrets he knows about this Mishima-feud. That's why we're going to the Mishima Zaibatsu's HQ in Tokyo" Lei explained his reason for doing this. While doing that, he couldn't help but to notice the dirty looks he was being given by the two agents. "And of course, I'm not supposed to be straying on my own, so both Master Raven and Raven have demanded that they accompany me. Heck, they even arranged for our transportation" he added to his explanation.

Master Raven stared dispassionately at Lei while having her arms crossed. "The last time you wandered off without our supervision resulted in you almost getting yourself killed. Therefore, it's in our interest to see you staying alive and away from all harm" she reminded him sternly.

Lei let out a deep sigh. "How was I to know that I was being stalked by Bryan Fury, Feng Wei and other crazy nutjobs!?" the Chinese man asked her out of irritation. "Geez, I've a feeling you guys don't give me much credit for the effort I've done so far" he then complained.

"Wasting time knocking on Heihachi Mishima's door is not what I would've called effort" Raven pointed out to him, causing Lei to roll his eye in return.

"For crying out loud! Was it really necessary for Interpol to seek out assistance from the United Nations? If they hadn't, then that would've left me with few headaches to contend with" Lei cursed his superiors for the situation he was in.

Lars interfered, putting an end to whatever kafuffle that was about to take place. "Let's not get off track here. There are bigger challenges that we have to contend ourselves with" the Swedish man said before glancing at Lei specifically. "Now as for your suggestion, I will admit that there is some merit in it. But are you certain that Heihachi is willing to reach out to you?" he wanted to make sure that the detective was being serious with regards to his next move.

"Absolutely! And don't worry, I'll keep in touch with you guys while I'm away" Lei assured Lars, yet he felt the need to explain why he was so determined to go to Tokyo. "While I would love to wait for Master Wang to arrive here, I just feel that I'm out of time. Think about it, the longer we wait, thus more innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire between Heihachi and Kazuya. That's why I'm not contend with waiting for answers anymore. I WILL find them, either dead or alive" the detective continued.

Lee couldn't help but to admire what he was hearing from Lei. "Inspiring words, detective. You really do live up to the reputation of a police officer. If only there were more men like you" the eccentric businessman remarked.

In response, Lei only scratched the back of his neck while chuckling nervously. "Woah, I didn't expect that compliment" Lei replied to Lee's words.

"Get ready. That's our ride, the black car!" Master Raven informed Lei as she mentioned her head towards the vehicle that was heading up to the driveway.

The group looked to see the incoming vehicle park right up by them. Lei was amazed. The vehicle was a black 2018 Porsche Cayenne GTS. Its windows were pitch black, save for the windshield of course. Heck, even the grills on the wheels were black. Lei couldn't help but to wonder why this vehicle was given such color.

"A Porsche Cayenne GTS? Not that I don't find them cool or anything, but why does this vehicle look so…" Lei was interrupted when car's doors opened as if nothing happened. The detective became more shocked when he realized there was no driver there. "Holy freaking crap! Did this car drive here on its own!? I mean…." Lei was so surprised and shocked at the same time.

"At ease, detective! Unlike most other models, this one supports an autopilot mode. Vehicles with such advancement is something that only we members of the UN's intelligence bureau use during our missions" Master Raven sought to calm down his fears. She was growing tired of listening to Lei's antics. "But still, I will take the wheels while we're on our trip to Tokyo. Therefore, you have no reason to hold onto such meaningless worries" she continued in scolding him.

Lei didn't appreciate that kind of tone he received from Master Raven. "Well excuuuse me, Master Crow! Sorry, for being scared of a driverless vehicle that neither you nor your partner bothered mentioning to me!" he hit back at her, even insulting the ninja by using another bird.

Still, Master Raven ignored his antics. "This is no time to be standing here fooling around. We better leave as soon as possible" he replied and entered the driver's side, soon taking her place as the driver. "Detective, you sit in the back! And Raven, you sit next to me!" she then commanded those two.

Raven didn't so much as question his superior's orders, so he entered the vehicle without any objections. Lei, on the other hand, was not amused.

"What I get for getting paired up with rowdy individuals. I swear, doesn't she know that cops are to be treated with respect and dignity?" Lei wondered, yet he soon gave up as he entered the Porsche.

Meanwhile, Raven was tapping the GPS, which then revealed to them their current location. "I assume that we'll be taking a different route to Tokyo" he spoke to Master Raven as he put on his seatbelt.

"Indeed. We can't risk getting our cover blown up. At this rate, the Zaibatsu nor the G Corp are the only foes that will try to interrupt our mission" Master Raven responded as she put on her own seatbelt. "According to HQ, an alliance of convenience has been formed between the international movement called the Resistance and the mysterious order of cultists named the Acolytes of Pluton. And not only that, the leader of the Archers of Sirius, Claudio Serafino, has taken the initiative to form his own alliance with several individuals calling itself L'ordine. We can't let our guard down so easily" the black-skinned woman informed her subordinate.

Raven crossed his arms as he listened to what she was telling him. "Hmm…then it's obvious that the exorcists must be after Jin. That alone would explain why someone like Sergei Dragunov is willing to work with him. They're both after the same thing" the man with the sunglasses remarked as he puzzled the pieces together. "And that leads us to the so-called "neutral" actors: Nina Williams and Yoshimitsu. Any word of them, lately?" the agent asked his superior.

"No. But last time I heard, both individuals were seen here in Kyoto. Somehow, they seem to have gone into hiding once again. But its not surprising, given how secretive each of them is in nature. Even so, they are of little use to us at the moment" Master Raven replied to her subordinate.

"Understood" Raven nodded in agreement with her assessment.

Both Lars and Lee walked up to the Porsche, wanting to give them some parting ways to the trio that were leaving Kyoto. As always, Lee tried to charm Master Raven with his womanizing skills, but to no avail.

"Well, you drive safely to Tokyo then, Master Raven. Just let me know if you need help. Don't forget: my phone is always switched on" the business mogul spoke up while holding his phone, almost as if he was trying to take a picture of himself.

Still, the agent remained unfazed at him. "That will be unnecessary. I know for a certain fact that selfies will not be of us to us in any way" Master Raven rebuffed him.

"Oh, I know that. And just so you know, I'm not taking a selfie right now. I'm just using the camera to make sure that my hair looks good" Lee replied, trying to hide his attempt to get flirty with the agent.

Master Raven rolled her eyes. "That's not how it looks like to me" she muttered.

Meanwhile, Lars stood at the window of the backseats, where he could converse with Lei. "Before you go, there's something that I would want you to have, Lei" the Swedish man said before reaching for something in his picket. When he picked it up and showed it to Lei, the detective got curious. "Here, take this. It may look like a necklace, but it's a sensor that will help us in keeping track of where you are. You never know when something terrible will happen" he then explained.

Lei grabbed the necklace and looked at it. Somehow, it resembled those worn by American soldiers. Still, it looked amazing and Lei was more than happy to accept this gift.

"Thanks. I bet this necklace will prove useful to me whenever a danger occurs. But I have a question: how can you guys know when I'm in danger?" he asked Lars.

"Oh, that's easy. We rely on the two agents to keep an eye on you. But when we contact them and they seem to have lost track of you, I will use the sensor on that necklace to track you down. But I'm confident that you can avoid getting out of trouble" Lars responded with a smile. But that smile soon turned upside down. "Still, be careful. The Zaibatsu and the G Corp may have ceased their warring in Japan for a while, but there are others who will most likely take advantage of it. That's why I want you to come back here once you're done with your business in Tokyo. Is that clear?" he then wanted to make sure how dire the situation was.

Lei only responded with a scoff at Lars. "Man, you do realize that you're talking to a policeman, right? I mean, facing dangers and challenges is what I do for a living. And I'm proud of that, especially when my job now revolves around helping this world's innocents" he boasted, although Lei got more soft-spoken at the end of his sentences.

Hearing this made Lars smile once again. "I know. Your stubbornness is impressive. Still, you must make sure that it has its uses instead of hindrances" the Swedish man reminded Lei.

In response, Lei gave him a thumbs up. "Okey-dokey! You have my word, Lars. I won't screw this up" he then assured him.

Realizing how confident he was, Lars got moved back to the building's entrance, soon being joined by Lee. The two watched as the Porsche's engine got switched on, its motors brimming so loud.

Master Raven held onto the steering wheel. "We're all set! I recommend that you fasten your seatbelt, Lei Wulong" the black-skinned woman advised the detective.

"You better do as she says…...for your own sake, that is" Raven joined in.

Hearing this made him groan in irritation. "Relax, I did that the moment I got in here! Why, is there something else that I need to KNOOOOOOOOWWWW!" he screamed when the car drove off in a fast speed. Despite the Porsche Cayenne being a SUV, it was still a fast vehicle. It didn't take that long before it disappeared from Violet System's property and continued on to the road.

Lee couldn't help but to yawn as he watched the Porsche disappear. "I dear, I think I've been having too little sleep for the last few days. I guess some relaxation would be nice. Wanna come with me to the spa?" he asked Lars while telling him what he wanted.

"That sounds nice and all, but is it really the time to be doing such, right now. Don't forget: we're technically at war, Lee" Lars reminded his adoptive half-brother.

"You put too much of the pressure on your own shoulders, Lars. While I do sometimes find that admirable, there comes a time when you must entrust other responsibilities to your subordinates. A leader can't be taking care of everyone" the white-haired man came up with words of advice to Lars.

Lars couldn't help but to chuckle. "Hmmm, you're most certainly right. Then I might as well join you at the spa. But we best not stay there too long" he finally agreed to go to the spa.

"Trust me, Violet Systems offer you the spa that one simply can't resist. Just follow me and you will see why" Lee led him back into the building.

Meanwhile, Master Raven was driving intensively in the traffic, trying to avoid hitting cars and pedestrians as she held onto the steering wheel. While Raven was calm in midst of his superior's driving, the same thing could not be said for Lei. He was desperately clinging onto his seat.

"WOAH! DRIVE NORMAL, WOULD YA!?" Lei asked as Master Raven was swinging to the left. The swinging affected Lei as well. "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" he cried.

"Just shut up and keep sitting still! After all, driving at this speed should be no problem for you! You are a policeman, after all. Don't you drive this fast when you're chasing criminals?" Master Raven rebuked Lei.

Lei scowled in what he was hearing Master Raven tell him. "Chasing criminals, my ass! We're in no rush to reach Tokyo!" the detective hit back. "I swear, were you not affiliated with the UN, I would've stripped off your driver's license!" he then tried to throw a jab at the agent.

But the black-skinned woman ignored Lei's attempt to get under her skin. Instead, she concentrated on driving the car, as well as finding the way out of Kyoto. She would take quick glanced at the GPS before returning her focus on the road ahead.

"Which road will we take?" Raven asked her.

"We will first drive on E1A to Nagoya. From there, we will continue driving on the Shin Tomei Expressway to Tokyo. That should only get us there faster. It was only fortunate that HQ was willing to send this vehicle" Master Raven informed him of their route to Tokyo.

"I see" Raven said while leaning against this seat. "Then we best make haste. Somehow, I have this feeling in my gut telling me that there's someone wanting to chase us. But this vehicle does have smokescreen, right?" he then asked his superior.

"Do you even need to ask, Raven? You're can't possibly be that much clueless when it comes to our vehicles" Master Raven rebuked him.

Raven responded by looking out of his window, pretending he was not listening to her scolding. And thus, the conversation between the two of them was over. Lei was himself confused about this kind of relationship the two agents shared with one another. From what the detective could tell, their relationship seemed like that of an older sister and a younger brother, except that it was much more serious and less childish. Still, Lei felt that he didn't have time to figure out more about them. He was already having his hands full with uncovering the mystery behind the curse of the Mishima clan.

"I don't care about whether you want to or not, you are gonna talk to me, Heihachi Mishima!" Lei thought about the Mishima Patriarch, knowing well what the old man had done to upset the world's population.

* * *

 _On top of Kyoto Tower, Kyoto, Japan_

Kyoto Tower was the tallest structure in the city. Standing on the very tip of this observation tower would give one person a clear panoramic view of the Kyoto itself. Currently, one person was in fact standing there, surprisingly having the ability to keep his balance. This individual was none other than the swordsman from the Manju Party: Yoshimitsu.

Only yesterday, Yoshimitsu had been in a clash against Kunimitsu. He fought her while Nina had fought Claudio. But neither the swordsman nor the assassin considered each other allies, despite them having worked on the same team before. But when the destruction of the satellite death ray occurred, Yoshimitsu had almost left himself wide upon for Kunimitsu to take his sword. It was through tough luck that he managed to avoid being robbed. Still, Yoshimitsu had been devastated by the terrible event that had taken place. He had withdrawn into hiding in a Manji Party outpost near Mount Hiei in order to rally his fellow ninjas.

At the hideout, Yoshimitsu had learned about the innocent lives that had perished as a result of those satellite parts crashing on different continents. He was horrified to learn how much the casualties were one each of these crash sites. But at the same time, the incident had only left Yoshimitsu angered at the machinations the Zaibatsu and the G Corp had left in wake of their war. As such, he declared that his clan would now be in an open war against their enemies. Whenever they discovered a squadron of Tekken Force skulking near their operations, they would put those soldiers down.

While most of his fellow ninjas were reluctant to fully engage in combat against their enemies, they eventually understood the gravity of the situation. There would no longer be hit-and-run attacks. If they attacked, they would not rest until their foes were neutralized. Such was the new code of the Manji Party.

Since having made that declaration, Yoshimitsu had been standing on the tip of Kyoto Tower, surveying the cityscape below him. But it became clear that he was looking to the direction of Tokyo.

"So many innocent lives perished in Guangzhou, Bangalore, Mombasa, Geneva and Baltimore. And even thought Heihachi Mishima may have not been the one directly responsible, I still hold both him and his demented son accountable for those atrocities!" Yoshimitsu thought, his gaze never leaving the view he was currently having. But the swordsman couldn't help but to think about his recent declaration to his subordinates. "I may have let my emotions hold sway over me when I made that declaration of war…..but I cannot wait any longer! For too long, the Manji Party has only struck down its foes from the shadows. But given the current circumstances…such patience is no longer sufficient enough. Indeed, this is a time for action" he then concluded, realizing in how he made the right move in making that declaration.

But as Yoshimitu stood on the tip, he could notice that he was not alone. Indeed, someone else was on the tower's highest point, except that it was only a few feet under him. Even so, Yoshimitsu didn't reach for his sword or anything. He continued to stand on the tip, acting as if nothing was bothering him.

"What are you doing here, Nina Williams?" Yoshimitsu sternly asked, noticing how close the assassin was.

Nina was currently leaning against the tower itself, still wearing the wedding dress. She had somehow managed to get up to the tower without getting noticed, except by Yoshimitsu that is. Nina didn't bother looking up at the swordsman, still facing the wonderful view.

"That is a question I should be asking you. But then again, us stumbling each other on Kyoto Tower may be a pure coincidence" Nina responded, her voice hinting to sarcasm.

"Spare me your deceits, assassin. It will take more than that to persuade me. Now then, tell me why you have sought me out" Yoshimitsu shot down her attempt to deceive him.

Nina sighed in annoyance while crossing her arms. "Fine, I'll tell you" she groaned a little before continuing. "From what I can tell, you haven't come out of hiding just to go sightseeing in Kyoto. Obviously, you're planning on taking the fight to the Zaibatsu and the G Corp. Isn't that what this is about?" the assassin pointed out.

Anger was burning inside Yoshimitsu, yet he was not yet willing to draw out his blade. "The loss of lives has forced me to change the Manji Party's strategy. We can no longer hide in the shadows and expect our foes to give up routing us out. That is why I am willing to take the fight to a whole new level" the swordsman explained.

"Naturally" Nina responded, not sounding surprised in the slightest. "If you are that determined, then why not head to Tokyo? You can even try assassinating Heihachi. If not, then why not let me do the job for you?" the blonde-haired woman came up with a suggestion, even offering him to assassinate Heihachi.

"Hold your tongue, Nina Williams! Unlike your kind, we of the Manji Party pride ourselves in honor. Resorting to things like assassination and thievery bring us nothing but dishonor, just like what happened with Kunimitsu" Yoshimitsu reminded Nina about his code of honor.

"Tch, that's a little hypocritical coming from someone who steals from the rich in order to save the poor and downtrodden. If I were you, I would have a reality check, wannabe Robin Hood" Nina mocked the swordsman's code of honor.

This was more than enough to set fire into Yoshimitsu's anger. The swordsman jumped off the tip of the tower and landed right before Nina. He even drew his sword and pointed it towards the assassin. It was apparent that Yoshimitsu was on the verge of attacking Nina.

"Take back what you just said!" Yoshimitsu demanded, his grip on his sword tightening by the minute. "Do it, or face my wrath!" the swordsman continued with his demand.

Despite being in this position, Nina was unfazed with Yoshimitsu's threats. She merely glanced a him with cold eyes, almost as if she was prepared to assassinate him or something. "It is you who should withdraw your sword, Yoshimitsu. So far, nobody has hired me to put you out of your misery. But I can happily take matters into my own hands, unless you stop messing with me!" the assassin warned him.

A cold and deadly confrontation was brewing between Nina and Yoshimitsu. But surprisingly, Yoshimitsu slowly withdrew his blade. Still, he held it tightly in his right hand. Nina could see him gazing out towards where Japan was. They were far away, but Yoshimitsu was facing in the direction in which Japan could be reached.

"Tell me, assassin. You have been sneaking around the Zaibatsu's HQ before, have you not?" Yoshimitsu questioned her.

"What kind of question is that? Of course, I've done that before. But what does it matter to you?" Nina rudely questioned him.

Yoshimitsu eventually looked over his shoulder to face her. "I may have a job for you. One that does not revolve around killing, that is. I want you to accompany me with spying on the Zaibatsu's HQ" he explained.

Nina crossed her arms while scoffing at him. "You hiring me? But didn't you say that assassins didn't have honor a few minutes ago?" the blonde-haired woman said. "Besides, I don't like working in pairs. And I sure as hell don't believe in you paying me! What gives you the idea that I would even cooperate with you?" she then pointed out, not feeling trustworthy towards Yoshimitsu.

"Quit feigning ignorance. The other day, I gave you the opportunity to fight the exorcist when I fought Kunimitsu. Consider this mission as a compensation for what I did for you" Yoshimitsu reminded her.

Nina couldn't help but to feel slightly irritated with what she was hearing him say. It only encouraged Nina outright attack him. But on the other hand, there was perhaps something that Nina could gain from doing this little charade with Yoshimitsu.

"Hmmm…now that you mention it, I do like the idea of heading to Tokyo. In fact, I may be willing to overlook my current contracts in this city…but only on one condition" Nina started laying out her demands.

"Then state your terms and be done with it. I have little time for negotiations" Yoshimitsu responded firmly.

"If you are planning on breaking into the Mishima Zaibatsu's HQ, then you will let me have some of its treasures. I hear some of them are worth millions. Let me have them and I will tag along on this silly mission of yours" Nina came up with her terms, as well as her prize.

Still, Yoshimitsu seemed to ignore what she came up with. "Very well. I bear no love towards the Zaibatsu nor the Mishimas, so you may do with them as you please. But remember, not to take them until you have done what I have asked" he responded.

Nina glared at him dispassionately. "And just so we're clear, I'm not your subordinate! You will treat me as an equal" the assassin reminded him.

"Only if you manage to earn my respect, which I seriously doubt you will" Yoshimitsu replied, thus stoking anger inside Nina.

Still, the assassin brushed it off, not being the type of woman to give into her emotions so easily. That was her sister Anna's thing. "Then let's head to Kyoto this instant. I have a vehicle that will get us there faster. Much more preferable than to stand in the crowded spaces of the shinkansen" Nina came up with how they would travel to Tokyo.

"Lead the way then" Yoshimitsu responded.

And so, the assassin and the ninja left Kyoto Tower, heading towards the vehicle Nina had. Although this form of cooperation was rare, it wasn't the fist time Nina and Yoshimitsu had worked on the same team. They had done that when Jin sought to free Angel from Heihachi's clutches. But this time, things were different, and neither of them were not doing this because of Jin's involvement. They were doing this for different interests.

 _To be continued…_


	34. Highway to Hell

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 34: Highway to Hell**

 _Inside Violet Systems HQ, Kyoto, Tokyo_

Lee and Lars were currently in a conversation with Eddy, Katarina and Christie. Apparently, the three Brazilians wished to say something important to the leaders of the resistance. And frankly, both Lars and Lee were stunned to hear what they wanted to do. Before this conversation, the two leaders had considered taking a break by visiting Violet System's spa. But when Eddy, Katarina and Christie wanted to have a serious talk with them, Lars and Lee couldn't deny them the right to have one. Therefore, they wanted to know what the three Brazilians wanted.

"You want what?" Lee asked in disbelief. "You say you want to board a containership at Osaka and then sail across the Pacific to the Panama Channel? But that's preposterous!" the business tycoon exclaimed out in disbelief.

Eddy, however, was getting slightly fed up with what he heard Lee say. "Look, I get it that you wanna have us on the team and all, but right now, there are more pressing AND personal matters that we need to attend to! My master is dead! We're heading back home to Brazil in order to bury him, one way or another!" the man with dreadlocks couldn't contain his rage.

"Eddy! Calm down! These are our friends! You don't have to be antagonistic towards them!" Christie reprimanded her close friend, yet realized that maybe she could elaborate the reason for why they wanted to leave Japan. "It's just as Eddy says. His master, you see, is also my grandfather. And he passed away not so long ago. But we haven't buried his remains yet. That's why it's imperative that we return to Brazil. For me, I can't stay out here while my grandfather's remains have not been laid to rest. Only after the funeral will I be at peace with this loss" the young girl said, tears slowly streaming from her eyes.

Both Lars and Lee could see the pain Christie was in. Eddy tried his best to comfort her. It became apparent that Christie was not yet at peace with her grandfather's death. If she could attend his funeral, she would perhaps find it.

"I can see the pain by just looking at you. That alone only tells me how you are not coping well with this situation" Lars expressed his concerns for Christie. But the Swedish man soon found himself smiling at her, and he did so out of sympathy. "If you are feeling this way, then it would be best if you and your friends returned home to Brazil" he then said.

But Lars was not the only one to realize how important it was for the Brazilians to return home. Even Lee was starting to feel for the loss Christie was experiencing. "Can't say I disagree with Lars. Frankly, its best if you follow what your heart desires most. And what it currently desires, is to see your grandfather's remains being laid to rest. Therefore, you three better return home. Don't force yourselves to stay here in Japan. When someone has passed away, delaying that person's funeral is only disrespecting him" Lee expressed his feeling about the pain of losing someone.

Christie couldn't help but to smile weakly while her tears kept falling. "Thank you…...both of you…I promise, we will always be friends, no matter what happens!" the young girl then tried to assure her steadfast loyalty to them.

"I also assume that you will try sneaking aboard on a containership. But that is doomed to fail, given how you will be sailing across the Pacific to reach Panama" Lee suddenly spoke up and suddenly gave the three Brazilians what appeared to be uniforms, as well as fake identity cards. The uniforms were those worn by the crew on a containership. "Here, you three may wanna have these. There is a containership that is about to leave Osaka and head east to the Americas. Its destination is the Bahamas, but it will without a doubt stop at the Panama Channel. Use these things to disguise yourselves as legal sailors. It will make your journey onboard the containership less harsh" he then explained to them what those things were.

The Brazilians were more than amazed with how Lee was able to come up with such things. This only meant that they would be able to sail across the Pacific without worrying about getting thrown overboard. They would be "legal" sailors.

"Now that's great! This means we get to live in the cabins and eat food like the rest of the sailors. Sounds much preferable than hiding inside a container for many months" Katarina expressed her delight in what they were seeing.

Christie was also appreciative of Lee's gifts. "Thank you so much for doing this for us, Lee Chaolan. We are forever in your debt" she expressed her gratitude.

"Christie, stop sounding so ridiculous" Eddy lightly scolded his close friend.

Still, Lee shrugged it off by laughing. "Now, now, I never said that you would need to repay me, did I?" he tried to reassure Christie that he was not thinking about such things. "What I'm doing now, is out of kindness and compassion. You must go home to Brazil and see to your grandfather being laid to rest. It's not in our place to keep you here against your own will" he added to his explanation.

"Lee is right. All that we ever asked of you was if you were on our side against the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation. And as leader of Yggdrasil, I know that I can count on you as valuable and trustworthy allies" Lars chimed in, suddenly glancing specifically at Eddy. "Especially you, Eddy Gordo. You may have been in the Tekken Force during a time when they committed atrocities. But I know deep down that you are a man of honor and dignity. You only did what you felt was the best way to save your master. Me and other members of Yggdrasil can fully sympathize with your pain" he surprisingly spoke to Eddy in a sympathetic voice.

Eddy was surprised to hear this, yet he couldn't help but to smile in hearing how someone like Lars was able to see him for the man he was. True, they had been enemies during the previous tournament. But right now, Lars was willing to forgive Eddy for his wrongdoings. This only made the Brazilian man respect Lars even more.

"I'll admit, I've been both a hero and a villain for the last few years. Still, I have difficulties in coming to terms with the consequences my actions have had upon people, especially on those I care for" Eddy spoke up, slightly glancing over at Christie. But Eddy soon returned his gaze upon Lars. "However, I'm deeply thankful for your support, as well as your forgiveness. I pray that other people will see that as well" the man with the dreadlocks said, slowly starting to feel a hint of sadness within him.

Christie got up to his side. "Don't carry all this burden on your shoulders, Eddy. Yes, you may have been involved in some atrocities…...but in my mind, Jin is who I think deserves most of the blame!" she was expressing her resentment towards Jin, given that it was him who had commanded those various operations in the first place.

"Well said, moça. To be fair, I see absolutely no dissimilarities between him and Kazuya. It's as the old saying says: like father, like son" Katarina chimed in, expressing her view in how Kazuya and Jin were no different from each other.

As much as Lars and Lei wanted to open their mouths to protest, they knew that such arguments would leave them to nowhere. True, the three Brazilians themselves knew about Lars' plans on using Jin to end this global war. Still, that did not mean they had to like him. Eddy was still feeling miserable over the Zaibatsu's failure to cure his master, and he felt like excluding himself from any of Jin's operations.

"Speaking of which, you guys have other reasons for letting us go, do you?" Eddy questioned the two leaders while crossing his arms. "Whatever those reasons are, we won't prioritize them. Our main focus is to return home for my master's funeral" the Capoeira fighter pointed out to them.

"Of course. The main reason we're letting you go is because of that funeral. You don't have to concern yourselves with our operations" Lee assured him, trying to ease Eddy's opposition. "The other reason, albeit a minority, is because our resistance could use some eyes and ears outside Japan. By that, you only have to keep in touch with us if you want to report something" he added.

Lars nodded his head in agreement. "True. Having eyes and ears outside would prove beneficial to Yggdrasil and its allies. After all, the global war is still ongoing throughout the world, even in the Americas. Therefore, it would be wise to have someone who can report to us about whatever activities the Zaibatsu or the G Corp are having" he informed the Brazilian about what they were supposed to do. "But still, I won't force any of you to do so. It's all up to you" the Swedish man then reminded them.

"So, you want us to be your eyes and ears in the Americas?" Eddy questioned the pair of leaders. "While it sounds farfetched, it's better than being stuck here. But know that we'll still continue to support your cause whatever the means" he added.

"He's right. We still wanna see those Zaibatsu-cadelas and G Corp-idiotas bleed dry. After everything they have done, there's no way that we will quit being against those rotten bastardos!" Katarina spoke up, signifying her enmity towards the main players of this ongoing war.

Both Lars and Lee smiled in what they were hearing them say. "That's good to know, my friends. But as I look at the time, it may be best if you three headed to Osaka immediately. It takes hours before the containership leaves the docks, but I would recommend that you got there in good time" Lee suggested to the three Brazilians.

"Agreed" Eddy responded and wanted to make sure that Christie and Katarina were prepared to leave. From what he could tell, they were indeed ready. Facing the leaders one last time, Eddy smiled in a manner that he hadn't done so in a long time. "On behalf of us, I thank you for the kindness we have received. I promise that our journey back home will not be in vain" the Capoeira fighter then expressed his gratitude.

Katarina flossed her hair as she listened to him. "You don't have to be THAT assuring" she remarked.

Christie shook her head slightly, yet she did face both Lee and Lars. "Anyway. We're thankful for what you've done for us. Please tell the others that we will continue to be supporting your cause" she explained, feeling a little regretful in leaving some of her newfound friends behind. But deep down, she knew that she needed to return home.

"We will. Take care of yourselves for now, friends. Have a safe journey home" Lars bade his farewell while wishing them a safe journey.

"Return home and bury the deceased. Do not look back for a second. You can do it!" Lee gave them some encouragement as he watched the Brazilians leave the property.

Eddy, Katarina and Christie all left Violet System's HQ, not even looking back. Now that they were allowed to return home, the Brazilians would do that at once. Still, they knew that the journey across the Pacific would be harsh and long. But in their mind, it was more preferable than staying in Japan. That is why they would reach the containership docked at Osaka and board it as sailors. If that was the only way of getting home to Brazil, then so be it.

Back at the HQ, Lars and Lee were reflecting on the decisions they had taken with regards to the three Brazilians. Both men agreed on that what they did was the right choice.

"While the others will without a doubt be shocked over this, they will come to respect the choices those Brazilians made" Lars spoke up.

Lee nodded in agreement. "True. But we don't need to worry, since we already know that so many fighters have come here to aid us against our enemies. We should consider ourselves lucky that they are willing to lend us such in these dire times" the business tycoon remarked as he walked alongside Lars. But as he suddenly said those words, another thought crossed into Lee's mind. "Speaking of which, how about we go to the spa that I suggested? Trust me, it won't take long. But given how busy we've bee lately, a little R&R would be beneficial, don't you think?" the silver-haired man pointed out.

Lars shook his head. "You really are quite the optimist, aren't you? Fine, I'll come with you. But perhaps it would be nice if we let the others know about where we'll be going. They probably don't realize that there's a spa here" the Swedish man agreed to what Lee wanted.

But it was at that moment when they were approached by Paul, who seemed very enthusiastic for some reason. From what Lee and Lars could tell, he had overheard their conversation. But he wasn't alone. Soon, Marshall could also be seen tagging behind, followed by Steve, Baek, Ganryu, Hwoarang, Bob, Marduk and King.

"Did someone say spa?" Paul exclaimed, feeling more than interested. He looked at Lee. "You're sayin' that there's a spa in this building!? That's fantastic!" the Judo fighter's happiness astounded Lee.

"If you're going there then at least take us with you. We've been stressing ourselves each day and night, so we also deserve a break" Baek spoke up.

"Heck yeah! I could really need a little massage" Marshall felt really tempted.

Lee had to chuckle in seeing this type of behavior amongst his guests. But he soon tried to ease their stress. "Settle down, my friends. Of course, you can come with us to the spa. As the old saying goes: the more the merrier!" he assured his friends. But Lee was caught by surprise when he was embraced in a tight hug by both Paul and Marshall. Despite this, the business tycoon was more than happy to accept this group hug.

"But what about the girls? Don't you think that they want to come to the spa with us?" Lars asked Lee.

"Tch, no way! This is a quality time for men like us, so no girls allowed!" Marduk bellowed.

The Vale Tudo fighter's words were met with displeasure by some, including King. "What on in the world are you talking about? Sexist much?" Steve questioned Marduk while putting his hands on his hips.

"What!? I'm nothing of the kind! I just don't wanna have girls coming here and ruining the fun!" the Australian man hit back, trying to counter Steve's claim.

Beak couldn't help but to glance at him in a smug manner. "I bet if Shuwawei came along, you wouldn't protest one bit" the Taekwondo master tried to tease Marduk.

"That's not true! I'm not in love with her or anything!" he spat at Baek.

King crossed his arms while facing his best friend confused. "Then how come you constantly tried hitting on her the other day?" the masked man questioned him.

"Really, King? Whose side are you on!?" Marduk felt really agitated with being reminded about his womanizing antics.

"Even if we did ask them, there's no way the girls would've wanted to come. Last time I checked, they are already having fun at that rooftop pool" Bob told everyone.

This really made Lee snap. "What? They're doing that without my permission? The nerve they have! That pool had just been cleaned after months of being neglected" he exclaimed out of frustration.

Steve shrugged his shoulders. "Don't get all worked up. The girls did the same thing at your mansion on the Bahamas. It's not surprising that they would do such things once they discovered the rooftop pool. So please, don't strain yourself" the British man tried to ease Lee's frustrations.

Lars put a hand on his adoptive half-brother's shoulder. "He's right, Lee. Besides, I'm confident that Alisa is there as well. She'll be watching over what goes on up there" he told him. "Now then, shall we go to the spa? You said you wanted some rest and relaxation. I think you could also need it" he then tried to humor Lee.

Shaking his head out of amusement, Lee knew how right Lars was. "How unexpected of you, Lars. For you to be this smug and confident. I like that" he admitted before facing the rest of his guests. "Alright then, friends. Let's go to this spa and have a break from all this stress. Let the girls do what they want" the business tycoon then told his guests, who seemed more than happy to be visiting the spa.

With that being said, Lee led them to Violet System's spa facilities. Hopefully, they would be more than happy with the services that the spa offered. Lee himself couldn't help but to want a massage on his shoulders. That would, in his own mind, feel nice.

* * *

 _On the rooftop of Violet System's HQ_

Believe it or not, Lee actually had a rooftop pool at the top of Violet System's HQ. But given the glamorous lifestyle Lee was living in, it was no surprise that he would have a pool like this. After all, he also had a pool at his mansion on the Bahamas. Even so, there was a few differences between that one and the rooftop pool in Kyoto. It gave those at the place a wondrous view of the city, as well as the surrounding mountains. In that view, Lee's rooftop pool offered anyone a panoramic scenery that was to be admired.

Right now, the ladies of the group were now bathing themselves, feeling the need to relax to gather their strength. They had "borrowed" some of the swimsuits from the staff at the HQ. Even so, the ladies were left to their own devices.

The poolside even had a bar and Lili's butler Sebastian was acting as the bartender. He was serving drinks to Lili, Alisa, Michelle and Shuwawei, who each sat on their own stools while enjoying their drinks.

Lili was having a refreshing lemonade. "Ah, that felt refreshing! You just know how to make the best drinks, Sebastian" the rich girl commended her butler for his bartending skills.

The old man humbly bowed in return. "Merci beaucoup, Madame Lili. Your feedback is most greatly appreciated" Sebastian responded to his young mistress.

"I must say, for being a rich girl and all, you don't particularly sound very mean nor bratty" Michelle stated her opinion of Lili, given that she was surprised in seeing how sweet and gentle Lili was behaving towards her friends. "And I don't say that to be disrespectful towards you or anything like that. It's just that I personally have bad experiences with greedy people" the middle-aged woman still wanted Lili to know she was not antagonizing her.

Hearing this made Lili giggle a little. "Well, let's just say that the upbringing I've had so far forced me to be more ladylike and compassionate" she told Michelle. "Even so, that still doesn't mean that I will give up my interest in fighting. I will not change that just because my father loathes violence. He wouldn't even let me attend the local Savate studio back in Monaco!" she went on to lament in the differences she had with her father.

"But even if you have differences, your father did a wonderful job raising you. I can tell that by just looking the way you treat Sebastian" Michelle remarked, still feeling amazed in seeing how Lili's persona was different from most of the rich girls.

Shuwawei was looking at the girls in the pool. So far, she saw Asuka, Julia, Leo and Josie playing together. But the Korean lady knew that someone was missing. She noticed that as she was looking around.

"Strange, I know that neither Katarina or Christie wanted to leave this building, but I don't see Xiaoyu" Shuwawei noted before looking at Alisa. "Did you ask her if she wanted to come with us to the pool?" she asked the pinkette.

A troubled expression was forming on Alisa's face. "I did ask her…...but she didn't give me a clear answer. Her words were: "I'll see what I can do". But still, I have certain doubts about whether she will come here or not" the android answered, remembering the last time she had spoken with Xiaoyu.

"Is she still in that room with Jin?" Michelle was stunned in what she heard Alisa say. "Come on, that girl needs to grow up! What good is there in watching a man lying in a coma for hours?" the brunette couldn't fathom Xiaoyu's behavior.

"That's a question you could perhaps ask her. Even I have problems figuring out the answer" Alisa spoke up.

"If you ask me, that girl is no different from Hwoarang. They're both THAT desperate for Jin's attention. I still don't get how someone like him can draw people to him, given what he is" Shuwawei remarked, starting to see some resemblances between Xiaoyu and Hwoarang.

Lili flossed her golden locks. "It's obvious to me that Xiaoyu is in love with Jin" she stated a fact that caught the attentions of those she was conversing with. They were dumbfounded. "What? Haven't you noticed? I mean, she can't help but to get very defensive when someone brings up to her friendship with him. In my eyes, they're more than just friends" the blondie came up with her own observation facts.

Michelle couldn't help but to chuckle nervously. "You don't say. But what about Jin? Does he feel the same way towards her? Frankly, I can't picture someone as stern as Jin Kazama being interested in dating someone as squeamish as Ling Xiaoyu. But then again, I don't know about their relationship that much, so I can't speculate further" the Native American gave out her opinion on the matter.

"Well, it could be perhaps that Xiaoyu sees something inside him that we have failed to. After all, she knows him better than anyone of us. But even I can't understand what makes her love him" Alisa spoke up, trying to come up with an answer. Even so, the android herself was uncertain about whether she could comprehend the feelings Xiaoyu carried towards Jin.

Lili was drinking from her lemonade with a straw. "I don't know what you think, but I'm certain that…" Lili was interrupted as she got water splashed in her face. This made her quite upset, yet she already knew who it was. "Hey! What's the big idea!?" the Monegasque girl snapped as she faced Asuka, who was standing in the pool.

"Sorry, Lili! I couldn't resist!" Asuka explained herself before she and the other girls started laughing, much to Lili's irritation. "Anyway, why are you girls sitting at the bar for? Come down here and play with us in the pool! The water's quite refreshing…...or are you perhaps afraid of getting yourself wet?" the Japanese girl teased her rival.

Alisa, who was laughing softly at this, decided to join in on the girls. "I wanna play too!" she said and the android soon found herself in the water. Even though she was an android, Alisa was for some reason able to swim in water. After all, she could manage standing in rain just fine. The pinkette splashed some water, starting to have fun in this. "This is fun!" she exclaimed.

"See? At least Alisa is brave enough to jump in! Aren't you gonna come in here?" Asuka began poking at her rival once again.

Finishing drinking her lemonade, Lili smirked as she faced the Japanese girl and walked towards the pool. "Are you challenging me to a splashing contest? Well, there's no way that I can say no to that! Prepare yourself, Asuka Kazama!" the blondie exclaimed as she got into the pool in hopes of getting back at Asuka.

Both Shuwawei and Michelle laughed as they witnessed the group of girls playing in the pool. Both women were happy to know that there was at least one time where they could forget about this world's toxic situation and focus on something fun. But as they continued watching, they failed to see that someone had entered the rooftop pool. When they got a closer look at who it was, they both smiled.

"Ah, so you finally came?" Shuwawei remarked.

Standing at the poolside was none other than Ling Xiaoyu. The Chinese girl was surprisingly not looking quite miserable as she had been lately. Her expression was more…...neutral. Having changed into a swimsuit, it was obvious that Xiaoyu wanted to go for a swim. It didn't take long before the girls in the pool took notice of Xiaoyu entering.

"Xiaoyu…so nice of you to come and join us!" Alisa exclaimed out of happiness in seeing her friend. She felt relieved to see how Xiaoyu had left Jin's side for once. But she could tell that she was not fully in a good mood.

"You wanna come play with us? We're having a competition on which of us is tough enough to withstand splashing!" Josie asked her, only to receive a dash of water upon her face. "Hey! No fair!" she exclaimed at Leo, who had mischievously done that.

"It's not my fault that you were distracted!" the German girl laughed as she watched Josie wipe her face clean.

Julia felt glad to see Xiaoyu and believed that she would not someone to open her mind with. "Josie's right! You should come play with us! It'll be fun, trust me!" she told her.

"Well, I'm not accepting her!" the loud voice came from Asuka. She was already facing Xiaoyu with displeasure while having her arms crossed. "After the attitude you've been displaying lately, there's no reason for us to let us play with you! I'm not letting you play with us!" the Japanese teenager already expressed her opposition.

"Asuka! What are you saying?" Leo was in disbelief in seeing Asuka demonstrating her hostility towards Xiaoyu.

Julia facepalmed as she watched this confrontation taking place. "Not again!" she groaned, realizing how this was going to end badly.

But Lili was in secret starting to find amusement in this. "Oh my, it appears that a confrontation between them is about to take place" she thought, yet decided to voice her support for Asuka. "You go get her, Asuka! Prove to me that you are as tough as you claim to be!" she signaled her backing towards Asuka.

The Japanese girl only glared at Lili in anger. "Stay out of this, Lili! This doesn't concern you! This is between me and…." Asuka's hissing was interrupted by a splash to the water. That only added fuel to the fire of her anger. "WHAT THE HELL!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" she yelled at Xiaoyu, who had actually done the splashing at her.

For some reason, Xiaoyu was glancing at her in a quite cocky fashion. "Oops, where did that come from?" the Chinese girl asked innocently while stretching out her hands, pretending she had nothing to do with this. But her expression soon reverted back into that of cockiness. "Serves you right for saying that I wasn't fit to play with you!" she then lashed out at Asuka.

Asuka scowled as she wiped off the water on her face. "First of all, I never said anything about you being unfit to play with us! And second of all, you only splashed at me while I was distracted!" the brunette expressed her outrage, yet that anger surprisingly vanished. In fact, Asuka formed a smirk on her lips. "How about we have another go? This time, I won't let my guard down. And you better be prepared to get splashed! Think you handle that, Ling Xiaoyu?" she challenged Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu only readied her hands in return. "You're on, Asuka Kazama! And trust me, those splashes I just did, I was only holding back. Next time, I won't!" the girl with the pigtails was accepting Asuka's challenge.

"Just try me, smartass!" Asuka hit back.

Realizing how it was slowly beginning to sound like a free-for-all, the girls decided to join in on the splashing contest. Then again, it had only resumed.

"Count me in! I'm gonna show you how I'm the toughest girl when it comes to water!" Josie exclaimed, the young Filipina feeling very determined to prove herself in front of the other girls.

"Don't forget about me!" Julia joined in on the fun. "I'm gonna show you guys how water is my greatest ally!" she declared with a high level of enthusiasm.

"But let's not forget, we're all doing this just for fun! As such, this is only a friendly competition" Alisa chimed in.

"Well said, Alisa. It's important to remember that all of this is just for fun" Lili praised the pinkette as she stroked her long blonde hair. "With that being said, none of you are gonna deny me my moment of triumph! I'll make sure of that!" she then gave into her desires to win.

"Tch, only in your wildest dreams will that ever happen!" Leo refuted Lili's claims and stood ready to splash her opponents. "I just hope you all realize by now that I will be the winner!" the German girl then expressed her confidence in her winning this friendly competition.

And thus, a splashing game had begun between the many girls. Both Michelle and Shuwawei sat and watched as the pool was becoming an aquatic playground for their younger peers. As a matter of fact, seeing this only made them wanna join in on the fun.

"Shall we join them?" Shuwawei questioned Michelle. "I'm up for some fun!" the Korean woman explained.

Michelle couldn't help but to chuckle at Shuwawei's suggestion. "Absolutely! As soon as I've finished my drink!" she then answered her.

* * *

 _Inside a Porsche Cayenne GTS, Shin Tomei Expressway, Shizouka, Japan_

Master Raven and Raven were sitting in front of their specialized Porsche Cayenne GTS with Lei Wulong as their passenger. They were driving on the Shin Tomei Expressway on route to Tokyo. They had been driving for a couple of hours, yet the trip went faster than expected. After all, they were driving a fast vehicle and had exclusively driven on the highway since leaving Kyoto. They had continued to the city of Nagoya and thus proceed towards Tokyo. This highway was close to the country's southern coastline. Still, they couldn't see the ocean so far, given how far away they currently were. The car trip had gone smoothly so far, nevertheless.

While the two agents were busy on the road ahead, Lei had started playing mini-games on his tablet computer, given that he was bored. But it didn't take long before the detective grew weary of playing those mini-games. In fact, Lei decided to see what was on the Internet. Luckily the car had wi-fi so it was no problem for him to get connected.

But as he browsed through the pages, Lei stopped when he could see something that caught his attention. His eyes widened as if he was a child that had opened his present. "No way…." Lei said, his voice only hinting to astonishment.

Master Raven had taken notice of what Lei were doing. "Something interesting you've found, detective?" the agent asked, her gaze still concentrated on the road.

Gulping, Lei realized that he had to come up with an answer that would sway her. And he just got one. "It's nothing. I was THIS close to winning this Pac-Man level, only for those darn ghosts to get me. Man, losing in this game sure is a pain in the neck!" Lei replied, although he was lying.

To Lei's surprise, however, Master Raven seemed to buy it. "Hmmm, you don't say" she responded as if she was disinterested.

"Aren't you too old to be playing games like Pac-Man?" Raven sternly questioned Lei.

Lei felt very offended, yet he decided not to get on the defensive. That's why he decided to play along with the agent. "Well, I guess you could say so. Then again, I was only playing it to alleviate my boredom. But I'll think I'll listen to some of my music for now" he replied while putting forth some headphones.

"Very well. But remember, do not make much noise if you try to sing along with the song. That's the only thing we're asking from you" Raven then said, still not paying attention to Lei.

Lei didn't appreciate the comment. "Whatever you say…sourpuss" he thought, realizing that so much as whispering such insult would not go unnoticed by Raven. But with that taken care of, Lei returned his focus on his tablet computer. With his headphones, he could play the video he was about to view without getting the agents suspicious. "Alright! It's showtime!" he then whispered.

The video Lei was currently watching was a promotional video of the G Corporation. But what really made him tempted to watch this was because of Lucky Chloe. Indeed, she was the one seen on the video doing the promotion. But what was it about? Lei continued to watch the video with interest. As usual, Lucky Chloe was doing her signature pose while demonstrating some of her dance moves.

" _Hi, everybody! It's me, Lucky Chloe! Are you ready for some awesome announcements!? If so, then stay tuned and don't close this video! You really don't wanna miss this! I bet that each and every one of you wants to receive a lucky autograph from me! Well, guess what, fans! Your chance is just around the corner! Wanna come and see me? Go visit the G Corporation Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. There is so much to see there. Lots of cool products and stuff that you won't regret missing! And last but not least, you can see me on my lucky autograph booth! Come join me at my party and you'll be given the chance for a dance-off! You'll find the exhibition near the Mishima Zaibatsu's HQ. Feeling agitated already? Then come see me at the exhibition and you'll be given one heck of a ride! See you next time! Bye!"_

That was the promotional video Chloe had been featured in. She had promoted an exhibition that was taking place in a building not far from the Zaibatsu's headquarters. And of course, it was hosted by the G Corporation. But despite this, Lei had completely put aside his suspicions towards the conglomerate. What had really made him interested was coming and meet Lucky Chloe.

"I can't believe it! Lucy Chloe's gonna be in Tokyo!? That's awesome! That means I finally get the opportunity to ask for her autograph!" Lei thought to himself in a gleeful manner. It was strange how a man at his age could be a fan of a teenage sensation such as Lucky Chloe. But then again, every adult had their fair share of fandoms. "And not only do I get her autograph, I will be able to dance with her! I bet that Chloe would be more than happy to see my dance moves. Oh yeah! That's a perfect idea!" the Chinese man added to his thoughts.

The two agents, particularly Raven, had taken notice of Lei weird manner of smiling at his tablet computer. "What the hell is he listening to? Whatever it is, I find that smile of his quite inappropriate for someone like him to have" the man with the sunglasses remarked, showing his slight misgivings about Lei's antics.

"Ignore him, Raven. His poor taste in music is of no importance to us. Bear in mind that our importance relates to the survival of this world" Master Raven reminded her subordinate.

"You don't have to tell me that repeatedly. I haven't forgotten where my loyalties lie" Raven hissed back, yet his irritation was rather calm in comparison to what others displayed.

Master Raven shook her head slightly, thus showcasing her disapproval for Raven's attitude. "Making a scene all because of an immature man's choice of music? I had thought you had learned to bury such meaningless arguments" she noted in what she could hear from Raven.

The agent with the sunglasses responded by looking out his window. But as he did that, Raven couldn't help but to feel the need to speak to his superior. "I have grown up for the last few years. All that I ask, is that you stop treating me as if I need your guidance. I'm not the same boy as I was back then" he uttered out those words.

As she heard this, Master Raven couldn't help but to let out a deep sigh. There were so many things that she could clash with Raven on. But then again, their relationship was more than just that of a superior and her subordinate. Therefore, she decided to do something that she had not done in a long time. Putting the car on autopilot-mode, Master Raven reached out to Raven by putting a hand on his left shoulder.

At first, Raven looked at her with a deep frown, yet his expression softened once he could see the way Master Raven was looking at him. It was different from before. She was looking at him in a sisterly manner. In his mind, it had been a long time since Master Raven had done something like that.

"You wanna know why I keep bossing you more than the other agents? Well, that's pretty simple. You're the only family I have beside me. I can't afford to lose you" Master Raven spoke up, surprisingly being more soft-spoken than usual. "When I heard about the helicopter you were on exploding in the Middle East, I was devastated at first. At that time, I literally thought that you were going to die. But in the end, you survived, much to my relief" the black-skinned woman continued, expressing her previous worries about Raven's near-death experience in the Middle East.

As he could hear those words, Raven realized now how his superior really cared for him. After all, they were siblings, bound to serve the world and its people through the principles of the United Nations. Holding onto her hand, Raven gently removed it off his shoulder. He nodded weakly at her.

"Very well. Then I take back what I just said. I apologize for my earlier rudeness, sister" Raven told Master Raven while addressing her as his sister.

A smug smile crept on her lips. Realizing that she had de-escalated the conflict, Master Raven returned to the steering wheel, soon deactivating the autopilot. So far, the road ahead of them had been stable. But at the same time, she looked sideways to see what things they were passing by.

"We're now passing by the Mori-Kakegawa Toll Gate. That means that we're not far from the Hirashima Tunnel" Master Raven informed not just Raven, but Lei as well. But Lei had been too busy looking at his tablet computer that he had even failed to notice the two agents' brief quarrel.

Raven looked at the GPS. "Yeah, I see it on the GPS. But that's not the only tunnel we'll be driving through, is it?" he questioned the agent.

"Indeed. For the time being, there will be several tunnels ahead. But they're not long, so it shouldn't take long to drive through them, except for the Awagatake Tunnel, of course" Master Raven clarified.

"Well, at least we haven't been able to spot any suspicious cars chasing after us. If so, then it means we'll have no problems in reaching Japan" Raven then remarked as he looked at the mirrors to see if there were any suspicious vehicles getting near them. But as he kept looking at vehicles behind them, Raven couldn't help but to notice something.

Apparently, someone was driving a motorcycle with a sidecar not far from behind. But what made Raven most cautious was when he got a look at the driver of that motorcycle, as well as the passenger in the sidecar. This motorcycle was a Russian model named IMZ-Ural 8103. It looked like the kind of motorcycles used in the Russian military, especially during the Soviet era. But Raven could see how dire this threat was becoming.

"You can't be serious!" Raven exclaimed as he looked in the mirror. "Master Raven, we've been followed! Look the one driving in the motorcycle behind us!" he told his partner.

When she looked at the mirror, Master Raven's eyes widened. "The man driving…...he's the infamous White Angel of Death…Sergei Dragunov" she recalled who the man driving the motorcycle was. But she also took notice of his passenger. "And sitting in the sidecar is…Bryan Fury" she then added.

It was true. For some reason, Dragunov had managed to borrow the IMZ-Ural from his superiors back in Russia. Meanwhile, Bryan was sitting in the sidecar. As if that wasn't troubling enough, a chaingun was attached to the sidecar, and Bryan was now ready to use it. The psychotic man grinned as he held into the chaingun before him.

"FULL SPEED AHEAD, BUDDY! WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME FUN BLOWING THOSE BASTARDS UP TO PIECES!" Bryan exclaimed, yet Dragunov didn't pay attention to what he was saying.

Back in the Porsche, Master Raven was feeling very agitated at the moment. The same thing could be said for her partner. Lei had taken notice of this commotion and took off his headphones.

"Say, what's the big…UAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Lei was caught by surprise when Master Raven steered the vehicle to the right. But soon, gunshots could be heard, as they put holes in the window in the back of the car. This forced Lei to duck as quickly as he could. "WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON!? WHO'S FIRING ON US!" Lei demanded as he hoped to avoid getting shot.

"STAY LOW, DETECTIVE! WE'RE CURRENTLY BEING ATTACKED BY BRYAN FURY AND SERGEI DRAGUNOV!" Master Raven informed him as she decided to activate the smokescreen, in hopes of losing the pair on the motorcycle. "You weren't bluffing when you said that Dragunov was working with others. I apologize for doubting your earlier" she then told him.

Lei, who had taken off his seatbelt, fumed in return. "And now you believe me!? Took you long enough!" the detective responded as he reached for his pistol.

"This not the time to be arguing on past mistakes! We must get rid of those two before they…" Raven stopped when he looked in the mirror once again. He scowled in seeing this. "Son of a bitch!" he cursed.

Master Raven was also feeling agitated. "There's more of them! I see a two more vehicles coming up close!" she cursed as she could see how these two cars were lining up alongside the motorcycle Dragunov and Bryan were piloting.

The first car was a black Ford Mustang with four doors. The one driving it was Armor King while the one sitting beside him was Feng Wei. But his passengers were Claudio Serafino and Kunimitsu. The second car was a white Mazda MX-5 sports car with no roof. That vehicle was occupied by Shaheen and Zafina. At this rate, Lei and the two agents were now engaged in a cat and mouse chase on the Shin Tomei Expressway.

"Man! We're in deep trouble now!" Lei remarked as he looked out of the windows.

"Damnit! For what reason do these people have in pursuing us!?" Raven cursed before directing his attention towards Lei. "You didn't spill anything to them about Jin's whereabouts, did you!?" he then demanded some answers out of him.

Lei became furious over this accusation. "No! I never told them a thing about him! As I said before, I've no idea why those guys were following me! But from what I could understand, they had been snooping around in Kyoto lately. That's probably how they got information about our dealings with Lee and Lars" the police officer said as he looked at Armor King and Feng sitting in the Mustang. "Just my luck, more psychopaths are coming after my hide once again!" he then groaned.

Master Raven tried to get a better look at their pursuers. She could see Claudio sitting in the Mustang's passenger seat. That only confirmed the suspicions she had.

"Just as I suspected. That young man is the mysterious leader of the Archers of Sirius, an order of exorcists that operate in Europe in secrecy" she commented as she reached out for a handgun. "It turns out that the rumors of him forming an alliance of fighters was correct. Apparently, he must be using this alliance as a means of finding out the location of Jin" Master Raven then came to a conclusion of her analysis.

As Raven used the scanners on his sunglasses to identify each of the persons in those vehicles, he was stunned when he learned about Zafina being one of those pursuers. She sat in the white Mazda which was driven by Shaheen. The agent was stunned to learn that someone like Zafina had thrown in her lot with Claudio and other individuals.

"I recognize that woman. During the previous tournament, I ran into her a couple of times. Me and Lars even fought alongside her and the group of spiritual warriors she came from in Egypt. It was when the Zaibatsu and the G Corp were about to lay claim to Azazel's temple" Raven told his superior about his past dealings with Zafina. "But I simply can't understand how she has been swayed over to that exorcist's side. Does she carry a vendetta towards Jin Kazama as well?" Raven added, trying to figure out Zafina's sudden change of allegiances.

"Worry about that later! Right now, you and Lei will have to cooperate in order to lose the pursuers!" Master Raven informed her subordinate, yet she couldn't help but to smile as she looked ahead. "Fortune may have smiled upon us, now! The Hirashima Tunnel is right before us! Ready your guns!" she then announced.

Both Lei and Raven were in the backseat, loading their handguns while they were prepared to shoot from the windows if needed.

Not far from their location, the members of L'ordine knew they had to pursue the Porsche inside the tunnel. But that wouldn't be so bad. Especially for Bryan, since he was itching to fire the chaingun upon anyone that blocked his path.

"YEEEEHAAAAAW! WE'RE GOING ON A SHOOTING SPREE INSIDE THAT TUNNEL! KEEP UP THE GAS, BUDDY!" Bryan loudly exclaimed, holding onto the chaingun and preparing it to be fired.

Dragunov paid no heed to Bryan's demand, yet he did speed up a little with the motorcycle. The Russian soldier had taken notice of the other members speeding up as well.

"They are driving inside the tunnel! But that won't stop us from stalking them! We will capture them!" Amor King exclaimed as he sped up the Mustang. "Because of me driving, the rest of you inside will have to do the shooting on that vehicle!" the luchador told Feng and the other passengers.

Feng only narrowed his eyes as he was holding up a handgun. "You don't need to give me orders! I already know what must be done! You should keep your hands on the steering wheel" the Chinese man reminded Armor King about what his job was.

"Calmati, gentiluomini! We must focus on our task ahead!" Claudio tried to break up the animosity between the two fighters. He then turned his attention to his nearest window. "Remember, we must only slow that vehicle down! We are NOT to destroy it! I need those agents and that detective alive!" the exorcist then called out to them.

Kunimitsu couldn't help but to scoff at Claudio's words. "Aren't you supposed to say "we"? Or is this all about your agenda again?" the kunoichi asked, having doubts about whether this chase was benefitting her in any way.

Claudio ignored her jab at him. "Just be careful not to hit civilian cars! Bear in mind that L'ordine was formed in the interest of the global population" the Italian man then started giving them some rules.

"Easier said than done" Feng responded, feeling doubtful whether they could ever live up to such ideals.

Meanwhile, Shaheen had to drive carefully in the tunnel, as he had to avoid crashing into cars or any of his compatriots. Still, the Saudi Arabian man was a good driver, yet he was plagued with thoughts as he and Zafina were now allied with Claudio in pursuing Jin Kazama. They both watched as those on the motorcycle and the Mustang shoot at the Porsche, intending on slowing it down.

"These people are insane! Reckless use of weaponry inside a tunnel can only lead to disaster!" Shaheen exclaimed, scowling in what he was seeing. "Whatever his intentions are, Claudio has gone too far in recruiting madmen such as Bryan Fury and Feng Wei into his fold!" he added.

Zafina had not drawn out a weapon, as she was not willing to use firearms inside the tunnel. But the Egyptian woman had been listening to what Shaheen had told her. And she was only curious about why her partner had already expressed his doubts about joining L'ordine.

"Why are you suddenly expressing regret over allying yourself with them? You were the one who suggested that we do that in the first place" Zafina reminded him.

Shaheen held onto the steering wheel, changing lanes in order to drive past a slow van before him. "You are correct, I do have some form of regret!" Shaheen admitted, yet Zafina could tell that there was more that he wished to share with the assassin. "Even so, I am willing to make compromises in order put an end to this war, as well as putting a stop to Kazuya and Heihachi. If I have to work with people I vehemently despise, then so be it. It's as the old saying goes: the ends justify the means" the Saudi Arabian man informed his partner.

Still, Zafina had yet to grasp what Shaheen meant by that. "That is an odd form of philosophy you follow there, Shaheen" she replied, realizing that it didn't make sense to her.

The shootout had already begun inside the Hirashima Tunnel. Bryan and Feng were using their weapons to land damages upon the Porsche, even as it was driving to avoid getting shot by hiding behind passing cars. But some of those cars were also landed a few bullets. In response, they drove themselves away from the shooting range. Still, things were not looking pretty for those inside the Porsche.

Lei, who was firing his handgun from the left back window, was left in shock once he could see Feng aim his handgun at him. When the Chinese Kenpo master fired, Lei immediately ducked for cover. It was a close shave for him. Meanwhile, Feng only smirked as he continued aiming his weapon at the car.

"Hiding behind covers as usual!? A serious blow to your dignity as a cop, Lei Wulong!" Feng insulted him.

Lei could hear this, and he got furious in return. "Damn him! To think he has the nerves to insult my profession and get away with it!" he cursed.

"He's not the one we should concern ourselves with!" Raven told him as he was trying to fire those who were on the motorcycle, but they were avoiding his gunshots. But when Bryan began holding the chaingun, the agent got cautious. "Take cover! They're about to use the chaingun once again!" the agent snapped at Lei, who had already done that.

Bryan laughed sadistically as he fired his weapon at the Porsche, although he was trying to hit Raven or Lei inside the vehicle. "SUCK ON THIS, FUCKERS!" the cyborg yelled, with many bullets hitting all parts of the car.

Master Raven could see one of the mirrors being broken as a result of Bryan's shooting rampage. It only agitated her further. "That crazy lunatic! His impulsive shooting will only cost innocent lives!" the agent realized, struggling to avoid getting hit while steering the vehicle on the highway.

"You think we don't know that!? We're already risking our lives trying to put an end to him! But it's not easy with that black Mustang driving nearby!" Lei hit back, feeling angered in how Master Raven didn't see the gravity they were in.

Realizing that desperate measures had to be taken, Master Raven decided to use it wisely. "Activating smokescreen now! Be ready! This will be quite the gadget that will cover this whole tunnel with smoke!" she said as he tapped on the screen.

Without warning, the license plate on the Porsche's back opened. And out of it came thick layers of smoke. This only caught the members of L'ordine by surprise, as they had not expected to see this.

"What the…." Bryan was outraged as the smoke soon covered both him and Dragunov. "GODAMNIT! I CAN'T SEE A THING!" he angrily cursed as everything before him was thickened by the smokescreen. Because of this, Dragunov needed to stop the motorcycle.

But they weren't the only ones, as those sitting in the Mustang and the Mazda soon got their fair share of smoke. Claudio was furious with what he was seeing. Feng immediately closed the window beside him. But given that the smoke couldn't so much as affect them, Armor King kept going at a slow speed. He could see that Shaheen and Zafina were already struggling with coming to terms with the smokescreen, as were Bryan and Dragunov.

"This is not the time to be standing still! The tunnel's exit is not far. Therefore, I shall keep moving the car forward. Once we are out of this tunnel, the view will be clear to us!" Armor King explained, stomping on the gas pedal.

But in the meantime, Dragunov had discovered a way out of this mess. He was currently using x-ray googles, that could help him find the exit and the right direction to drive on. In addition to that, Bryan was using his own cybernetic abilities to locate and measure the smokescreen.

"Full speed ahead! We're not gonna let those bastards get away with this!" Bryan commanded his partner, who was still not listening to him.

While the members of L'ordine had been distracted by the smokescreen, Master Raven had used that opportunity to drive as fast as she could out of the tunnel and into the next one. From what she understood, they had to drive through several tunnels, two of them short ones while the third was a little longer.

Both Lei and Raven got up to see whether they were still being chased. So far, there was not a sight of a motorcycle with a firing chaingun chasing their tails. That brought only relief to them.

"I think we've lost them…...for now, at least" Lei remarked as he sat on the seat along with Raven.

"Don't get your hopes up high just yet. The smokescreen may have slowed them down, but there's no telling in what sort of means Dragunov and his cohorts will use in order to get out of it" Raven reminded Lei, surprisingly taking off his sunglasses in order to rub his entire face.

As Raven did that, Lei couldn't help but to notice the x-shaped scar on his face. Since Raven didn't wear his sunglasses now, Lei could see how large that scar really was.

"Hey, I hate to ask you this.…...but how in the world did you gain that scar?" Lei asked, only to be given a serious and disapproving glance by Raven in return. The police officer could tell that he didn't take kindly to this. "I'm just asking out of curiosity. Come on, we're allies here. Can't we at least share secrets with each other?" Lei tried to reassure Raven on how they were allies.

Putting his sunglasses on, Raven didn't mince words. "You've not been through the same stuff as I have, detective. By stuff, I mean battles that will define on whether you can survive this world or not. And let me tell you, some of them can almost result in your death" he answered, this time sounding very serious when he was talking to Lei.

Realizing in how he had only stepped on a landmine, Lei decided not to continue this conversation with the agent. "On second thought, forget I said anything" the Chinese man insisted to Raven, who didn't seem to give much thought in return.

There trio had already passed through two tunnels: the Saigo Tunnel and the Kurami Tunnel. These were relatively. But there were more tunnels that they would drive along the way. The next one was the Awagatake Tunnel. This one was longer, as it would take them under the forested mountains. Once they exited it, they would arrive at Yokooka Shinden, were Oi River was running nearby. And of course, the expressway made sure that they had to cross it. Then, they would continue in driving on the highway past the city of Shizouka, and eventually reach Tokyo. Although driving on the highway went fast, it would still take a long time before they would reach Tokyo.

As they were driving inside the Awagatake Tunnel, Master Raven wanted to make sure that they were still not being followed. But looking the mirror was not enough. So she decided to let Lei and Raven do some of the work.

"Is there any danger behind us? We may have driven fast, but their vehicles aren't as slow as people might say" she asked them.

Lei and Raven did look behind, yet Lei felt himself getting tired of this. So he quit looking. "Argh, what's the point of that, anyway? We've already passed through two tunnels, yet none of them has been spotted. And this would be our third tunnel after escaping from the smokescreen. Therefore, it's safe to say that we'll lost them" he said, trying to ease off the agent's concerns.

But Master Raven was not convinced. "This isn't the time to be throwing fits, detective. My main concern is getting us to Tokyo safely. Therefore, you may wanna stop holding onto this attitude of yours" she reprimanded him.

Lei grumbled, deciding he was not in the mood to be replying back to her. "I swear, I'm having second thoughts about agreeing to this babysitting. Why can't they treat me as a fellow contributor of justice? I fight lawbreakers too!" he thought, realizing how tired he was getting of putting up with the attitudes of the two agents. But something crossed his mind. It was a mischievous idea, one that Lei felt more than tempted to pull on the agents. "And I know just what to do when we're in Tokyo. I'm gonna pretend that I'll be going to visit a toilet. And while they're waiting for me outside…I'll be sneaking out of the emergency exits and then head straight to the G Corp exhibition to get Lucky Chloe's autograph! Oh Lei, you sly fox! You just know how to escape your boring tasks!" Lei began coming up with the perfect idea to get those agents off his hide.

But was that really the right decision for Lei? The police officer did admit that it was perhaps not in the best interest with regards to his ongoing case in digging up clues of the Mishima clan's supposed curse. Even so, Lei felt like he could need a break from having Master Raven and Raven up on him all day.

"Come on! It's just this once! Besides, it's not everyday I get to see and greet Lucky Chloe!" Lei thought, trying to justify his decision to attend the exhibition.

While Lei was pondering over how to lure the agents, Raven had still been on the lookout for any members of L'ordine. With the help of his sunglasses, the shaved-haired agent managed to look past some of the vehicles that were driving past them. But he was in for a shock once he could see a IMZ-Ural 8103 motorcycle driving past some of these vehicles. And of course, both Dragunov and Bryan could be seen piloting them. Not far behind, the black Mustang driven by Armor King followed. Seeing this only made Raven scowl.

"DAMN! THEY'VE PICKED UP THE PACE! THOSE BASTARDS ARE STILL UNTO US!" Raven expressed his rage.

"What!?" Lei wondered as he got up to look out from the rear window. "Give me a freaking break! Why can't those guys just leave us alone!?" the police officer was getting tired of being chased.

Master Raven, realizing that their enemies were gaining upon them, decided to speed up. She could see that they had exited the tunnel, which meant that the chase would continue on their crossing of the Oi River. But even as she sped up, Master Raven could see that her foes were only doing the same thing with their vehicles. It brought her a little hint of distress.

"This does not bode well! I may have to use smokescreen once again on the bridge" she thought, yet Master Raven had taken notice of something with the pursuers. "But then again, those people have already figured out how to withstand and get out of the smokescreen. That's why we can't rely on the same methods all over again!" she added.

Bryan grinned as he caught a glimpse of his target. He held his chaingun and aimed it at the Porsche. "This time! We'll blast those motherfuckers to pieces! There's no way that they'll escape from us now!" the cyborg explained, yet his Russian partner was ignoring his bloodlust.

Meanwhile, Armor King was speeding up, intending on catching unto the trio in the Porsche. "They are trying to run us out! But they will not escape us this time! One way or another, this bridge will become the place where we capture those scoundrels!" Armor King told those in the Mustang, wanting to make sure that they were ready to assist him.

Feng was loading his handgun. "I am already loaded! Get us closer to the Porsche!" the Chinese man told his partner.

The car chase continued on the bridge. Even by now, the members of L'ordine was getting closer to the Porsche, with weapons being prepared. A shootout was about to take place on the bridge. As such, things were about to get ugly. But what none of the players would realize was that an unexpected explosion was about to take place on the bridge. Along with the pursuers, a Mitsubishi tanker truck was driving on the bridge. But it was in a hurry, and it was keen on moving past them, as well as the Porsche. As the shootout was about to commence between the two sides, a bullet hit the tanker itself. The result? A large and deadly explosion erupted on the bridge, thus separating the pursuers from their target. This explosion was so big that it almost destroyed the opposite highway that defined the bridge. Still, Lei and the agents were completely caught of guard by something like this happening.

Master Raven, Lei and Raven managed to make it to the other side, yet they couldn't help but to stop and watch the carnage that had taken place in wake of the explosion. To watch the bridge being destroyed was simply horrifying.

"What the hell…who did that!?" Raven wondered out loud as he watched the flames burning. "Who could possibly have done something so atrocious!" the agent added, feeling very agitated over this situation.

Master Raven glared at Lei, feeling that he could have done it. "Did you do that, detective!? Answer me!" she demanded an answer.

"I swear, I did nothing! I was about to open fire on those in the Mustang until this explosion appeared out of nowhere. Besides, a bullet from a handgun is not powerful enough to cause an explosion from a tanker!" Lei professed his innocence.

While Master Raven still felt less than willing to believe Lei's words, Raven had already begun analyzing the scene. Using his sunglasses, he scanned the road ahead, and managed to capture a certain woman who stood by a sportscar holding a sniper rifle. The agent couldn't believe in what he was seeing.

"No way! How…..when…..when did you get there before us!?" Raven was feeling so confused.

Master Raven, already taking notice of how her partner was beginning to analyze the scene, faced forward. With the help of her gadgets, she managed to identity the woman standing beside the sportscar. Seeing her only made the agent scowl.

"It's…you!" she expressed her dismay in what she was seeing. Despite the fact that she, Raven and Lei were spared from getting chased by Claudio and his allies, Master Raven still felt disgusted by the fact that an assassin had rescued them.

The woman standing beside the sportscar, which was a red 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, was the assassin Nina Williams. Her current location was far from where the two agents and detective were, almost at the other side of the bridge. Still, she held onto her sniper rifle, glancing at her work as if it didn't bother her. Feeling that she had done enough, the Irishwoman entered the car and drove off in a fast speed.

But Nina was not driving alone. Sitting beside her in the Ferrari was Yoshimitsu. The swordsman had been stunned in seeing the kind of actions Nina had just committed.

"What did you just do!? Why did you destroy that bridge!?" he demanded an answer out of her. But Yoshimitsu was beginning to wonder whether Nina did that out of mutual benefit for Lei and the agents. "I was under the impression that you were no friend of Interpol or the United Nations' intelligence bureau" the ninja then added, already knowing who those individuals in the Porsche were.

Nina remained far from interested, facing the road ahead. But she still felt the need to correct her ally. "Don't get the wrong idea, Yoshimitsu. I did not save them! In fact, I was saving ourselves. That Italian exorcist and his mercenaries would only have come a distraction to our job. Therefore, I couldn't take the risk of having him interfering in our business. I believe that you would hate if Bryan Fury and Kunimitsu did that, correct?" the assassin corrected the swordsman.

In response, Yoshimitsu did not pay attention. "Your logic is still lost upon me, Nina Williams. Then again, it's not in my place to lecture you about honor. You do not deserve such from the likes of me" he responded.

"Fine. I didn't ask for your help, anyways" Nina responded, holding onto the steering wheel as she sped up the Ferrari.

With that being said, the couple of neutral actors in this game continued on the Shin Tomei Expressway to Tokyo. While it was uncertain about whether Nina and Yoshimitsu would participate directly in this standoff between the Mishima Zaibatsu and its enemies, they would still do their own things.

 _To be continued…_


	35. Inconcistencies

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 35: Inconsistencies**

 _Somewhere in the alleyways of Kyoto, Japan_

In these narrow alleyways, two leaders of the international movement calling itself the Resistance was walking in the narrow streets. The first leader was the former Israeli soldier named Isaak Lichtenfeld while the other leader was the Japanese biker named Rumi Kusakabe. Each of them was holding a bottle of beer in their hands. Apparently, they had just visited a nearby bar, and were now on their way back to the HQ of the Resistance. By using these narrow alleyways, the two leaders would reach it in no time.

"This stink, all of it!" Isaak exclaimed, being very grumpy.

Rumi only stared at her comrade with confused yet dispassionate eyes. "Well, isn't that obvious? These alleyways are where trash is usually thrown. And not to mention that they're hangouts for bums, crackheads and whatever nasty people you can think of" she gave him a reason.

"Not that! I meant this whole idea about forming an alliance with that messed-up cultist and his groupies. I swear, every time I look at him, it makes my stomach turn" Isaak corrected his partner in what he was referring to. "And not only that, I don't see any benefit in cooperating with those Acolytes of Pluton. They're not particularly trustworthy" the former soldier spoke up while taking a sip from his bottle.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. I too can't fully trust that scary-looking man. And that narcoleptic wannabe Dracula? Seriously, Taiga's making a mistake reaching out to the likes of them" Rumi expressed her own opinions of the matter, even referencing Eliza along the way. "But look on the bright side, there is some benefits to this alliance. One of them is that we may stand a chance against the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation" the biker then found a pro-argument for this alliance between the Resistance and the Acolytes of Pluton.

Still, Isaak was not entirely convinced. "I don't know, Rumi. If I were you, I would've thought twice before fully embracing those nutjobs. Hell, they haven't even demonstrated in what way they will assist us against our enemies" the blonde-haired man pointed out.

As she heard this, Rumi couldn't help but to think about the mysterious yet dark power Revenant had demonstrated before them the other day. Like her comrades, Rumi had been astounded by how someone could wield such powers. But even though Taiga had seen it, he still agreed to this alliance nevertheless.

"I guess it can't be helped, Isaak. From now on, the Resistance needs all the necessary hands it can get its hands on" Rumi spoke up as she drank from her bottle. "But then again, the Resistance wouldn't be the only ones to be in this position. There are rumors going around town that defectors of the Tekken Force have formed their own movement to oppose their former leaders. It's a group calling itself Yggdrasil. From what I gather, the group's leader is a former Tekken Force officer: Lars Alexandersson" she then recalled what she heard learned from the rumors.

Isaak raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Really? That's the guy's name? Tch, sounds lame if you ask me" the Israeli man mocked Lars's name. "Still, Taiga has so far refrained from reaching out to these Tekken Force rebels. I don't know why, but he says that they're no better than the Zaibatsu. A poor judgement on his part" he commented while drinking from his bottle.

Rumi reflected on the words she heard him say. "True. But even though we may disagree on certain things, Taiga is still a valuable comrade. Try not to forget it, Isaak" she reminded him.

"Fair enough" Isaak responded, although his tone hinted that he didn't take Rumi's words to heart.

As the pair of leaders continued strolling down the alleyway, they were walking past what appeared to be the backdoor entrance of a building. The entrance was taller than them. As they kept walking, they failed to notice that someone was standing on that spot. And that person was about to do something incredibly nasty.

Both Isaak and Rumi were about to look to their right to see who it was, only to have urine poured all over them. They yelled in disgust, even screaming as they got urine all over their faces. That could only mean one thing. Someone was actually peeing on them!

Feeling the stench all over their clothes, both leaders of the Resistance became furious with what they had just experienced.

"ARGH! I'VE GOT PISS ALL OVER MY FACE!" Rumi yelled, rubbing her face while coughing.

"MOTHERFUCKER! WHO THE HELL DID THIS!?" Isaak exploded, soon taking notice of who it was that had peed upon him and his comrade. The Israeli man was furious. "IT'S YOU! YOU'RE THAT DRUNKEN FOOL FROM THE OTHER DAY!" he yelled while pointing a finger towards the person.

That person was Miguel Caballero Rojo, the Spaniard that had for the last few days wandered from street to street, boozing himself out of misery. Apparently, it was him who had just urinated upon the two leaders. And based upon his cocky expression, he didn't have an ounce of regret.

"Ah, that felt good! Too much tequila really fills me up!" Miguel said, eventually looking down upon the fighters he had just peed on. "Well then, gilipollas. Did you enjoy my tequila? Forgive me if it wasn't good enough for you" he then asked them out of mockery.

Both Isaak and Rumi were fuming with the way Miguel was treating, especially since the Spaniard had done something so disgusting towards them. "You son of a bitch…...you're dead! I don't care whether you're an enemy or not!" Rumi spat out, even cracking her gloved knuckles. "I'm gonna rip your balls off for what you just did!" the Japanese girl added to her threats, just as any of the bosozoku would.

Despite hearing this threat, Miguel remained far from fearful. "Just try me, puta! You'll be kissing the asphalt before you even get the chance! Besides, your friend looks more promising and tougher than you do" he dared them before jumping off his location and landing down at their level. Miguel was more than willing to fight two people inside this alleyway. He had learned quite a few interesting things from eavesdropping on the secret meeting in the sewers the other day.

Isaak spat on the asphalt, stretching out his muscular arms. "You think you can handle me, is that it!?" he asked Miguel while standing in his fighting stance. "Bum-ass fool! You're dealing with a former member of the IDF, as well as a master at Krav Maga! Once this is over, you're gonna wish you never crossed us the way you did just now!" he continued on with the threats.

Somehow, Miguel became confused with what he was hearing. "IDF? What does it stand for? Is that short for International Delusional Fuckwits?" he rudely questioned Isaak.

Instead of answering, Isaak charged towards the Spaniard with all his might. Rumi was not far behind. But Miguel was only keen on taking them on, as he would demonstrate his mastery skills in Brawling. True, Miguel had no formal martial arts training, as he simply relied on brute force and experiences from street fights in Spain as a means of defending himself.

While Miguel had to take a few punches from his foes, he surprisingly managed to hold on his own against Isaak and Rumi. In other words, Miguel surprised his opponents when he demonstrated how resilient he was. He was able to go toe to toe against Isaak's Krav Maga and Rumi's Judo.

"I don't get it! How can someone like him hold on his own against us!?" Rumi felt ticked off in seeing this.

The aggressive Spaniard stood his guard. "What's the matter? A few minutes ago, you said you wanted to rip my balls off! So where's all that bravado!?" Miguel mocked his foes, specifically Rumi.

The Japanese girl got more agitated in hearing that insult. "That's it! I'm gonna mess you up!" she retorted at Miguel.

"Then quit bitching and start fighting, perra!" Miguel responded.

Before Rumi could retort, Isaak had already taken the initiative to attack the Spaniard. He had grown weary of listening to Miguel degrade him and his comrade in such disrespectful language. That is why Isaak wanted to give him a beating. With a powerful punch, the Israeli man managed to send Miguel a few feet away.

"How does that feel!? Serves you right for keep talking shit to my comrade like that!" Isaak spat at Miguel, not even holding back his anger.

Despite being hit, the Spaniard still had enough strength to withstand it. It only encouraged him to take this fight more seriously. There was no room for any openings. That would only give his opponents the advantage.

"Is this the best you've got? I've been punched worse!" Miguel insulted Isaak.

This only escalated further, as Isaak charged towards Miguel. As he was about to deliver his attack, someone had interfered in the fight and had punched the young man by his hips. Isaak was sent flying into a garbage can. Even so, the Israeli man soon got back to his senses.

"Isaak!" Rumi cried at her comrade. She then turned her aggressive expression towards the one who had just attacked Isaak. "What the hell's our deal, old man!?" she demanded an answer out of this person.

That person turned out to be Wang Jinrei, the old Chinese martial artist. Accompanying him was the American soldier named Bo Montana, also known to most people as Rodeo. Apparently, Wang had made his move towards Isaak before the Israeli man could launch himself at Miguel.

Wang stood in fighting position, his frail body betraying his hidden strength. "I beg your pardon, but I could not help but to feel agitated over whatever noise you youngsters created in this alleyway. All that I want is some peace and quiet" he spoke up.

Rumi was scowling, yet she took notice of Isaak getting up on his feet. He brushed off whatever trash that he had gotten on his shoulders.

"Don't blame us for causing this ruckus! That drunken bastard behind you is the one who started it all!" Isaak pointed out, his finger pointing directly at Miguel.

"Yeah, he pissed upon us! And I literally mean it! He seriously pissed upon us for no freaking reason!" Rumi chimed in, supporting her partner's claim.

Wang and Rodeo were dumbfounded by hearing what the two people just alleged. As a matter of fact, Rodeo turned his attention towards the Spaniard.

"Is that true!? You literally pissed upon these people!?" the soldier demanded some answers. As he did that, he couldn't help but to smell something disgusting and it was not from the garbage cans. "I smell alcohol from you! And just any alcohol. It's tequila" he added, having some limited knowledge of beverages.

Miguel crossed his arms. "First of all, what I drank at the bar is none of your business. And second of all, why did you just butt in? I was handling those two idiotas perfectly on my own!" the aggressive Spaniard wanted to know why Wang and Rodeo had interfered.

Slowly, Wang turned around to face him. He looked quite disappointed. "Is that so? This energy I am getting from you tells me otherwise. You are young, hotheaded and drunk. With the latter two, you would not last a dime" he berated the aggressive Spaniard.

Miguel felt annoyed in getting scolded by an old man. "You shut your trap, old man! I know my strength!" he hit back.

Rodeo was also having similar opinions as Wang had when it came to Miguel's attitude. "What an impulsive idiot. Thinking he's such a hotshot because of his accent and looks" the American soldier thought as he observed the brown-haired man getting into a confrontation with Wang.

As much as he was astounded by the level of aggression coming from Miguel, Wang was not afraid of him one bit. "Dearie me. You obviously need some humbling, youngster. Didn't your elders ever teach you?" he asked the Spaniard with a softer tone.

When hearing this, Miguel exploded into rage. "My family's business is not your business! And for the record, they disowned me!" he spat out, revealing the elderly man a harsh truth. While doing that, Miguel couldn't help but to look down at the asphalt. "The only family that I could count on was my younger sister. But she is dead…lying six feet underground!" he struggled to control his rage.

"That is terrible. I can see the pain in your eyes. You have my pity, young one" Wang extended his condolences.

However, Miguel didn't seem to appreciate what he just heard. "I don't want your condolences! I want you to fuck off!" the Spaniard snapped, once again unleashing a verbal tirade against Wang.

In that moment, Rodeo angrily forced himself upon Miguel. As a matter of fact, the soldier held him against the wall. His hand held tightly to the collar of Miguel's jacket.

"Listen up, smartass! I don't care about whatever trauma you underwent, but you sure as hell don't badmouth elderly people! He was only trying to express his sympathy towards you!" Rodeo cried, feeling the urge to just punch Miguel's face.

Despite being held in this position, the aggressive Spaniard was far from intimidated. He didn't care whether Rodeo was a soldier in the US Army. "Callate! You know nothing about me! Neither does he! Now let go of me before I….." Miguel was interrupted when he could hear Wang open his mouth.

"Goodness, where did that young lady and her angry-looking acquaintance run off to?" Wang wondered as he faced each direction of the alleyway. "I could swear that they were here a minute ago. When did they vanish?" the elderly man rubbed his wrinkled eyes, wondering whether he was seeing things or not.

Rodeo loosened his grip on Miguel's jacket and joined Wang in trying to searching for the whereabouts of Isaak and Rumi. He also failed.

"Damn! Those punks got away. Something tells me that they were doing some shady business" Rodeo remarked, still unable to find out those individuals.

"Well that's painfully obvious!" Miguel spoke up, trying to brush off whatever dirt he had on his jacket. "Yesterday I caught those two bastardos standing in the sewers. Fom what I can remember, they were meeting with a hooded man wearing a mask. And believe it or not, he was accompanied by mysterious followers, including this hot and sexy vampire" the Spaniard told them what he had been through the other day.

Rodeo was not buying his story. "Tch, as if I would believe that! You were probably too drunk to see clearly. And that's apparent given that stench coming from you" he rebuked him, thinking of Miguel was little more than a drunken bum.

But Wang had his attention. He couldn't help but to grow suspicious about those people Miguel was describing, especially the hooded man with the mask. And he vaguely remembered seeing a female vampire on Mt Hiei not so long ago.

"Tell me, youngster. This hooded man you say you saw, he didn't happen to have metallic hands, would he?" Wang wanted to make sure whether Miguel was describing that person correctly.

"Yeah! And not just that, he created violet fire around those hands of his. And that vampire that was following him had quite a large bust…that's what I can recall" the aggressive Spaniard was struggling to get his memories straight.

Rodeo cooked an eyebrow. "A vampire with a large bust? I think I've heard enough shenanigans from you, Señor Tequila" he responded to Miguel's explanation while giving him a nickname.

This got him only agitated. "YOU ALREADY KNOW MY NAME! I'TS MIGUEL CABALLERO ROJO! COMPRENDE!?" Miguel spat, furious in how Rodeo was trying to dismiss him as a person.

"The young man is telling the truth" Wang suddenly spoke firmly as he faced Rodeo. "It is just as I feared. Revenant is now using reaching out to the society's underdogs for assistance. By exploiting their anger, he now has something he can rely on to expand the influence of these Acolytes of Pluton" he then explained the gravity of the situation.

Hearing this made Rodeo's eyes widen slightly. "No…...it can't be…" he didn't want to believe it.

"It is, Bo Montana. And this female vampire I hear of…I myself met her personally" Wang recalled his meeting of Eliza, which of course was pure coincidence. "While I was trying to rest on Mt Hiei, the young lady came and demanded some blood from me. But she seemed awfully sleepy. The poor dear even fell on the ground sleeping. A strange individual indeed" the elderly man spoke of this vampire.

Rodeo, who was a soldier and had experience in interrogating, could tell that Wang was speaking the truth. Even so, it shouldn't have come as a surprise to him that vampires existed in this world. There already existed demons and beings with magical powers such as Revenant.

"I see. Then perhaps it's all truth now" Rodeo said, leaning his face against the wall. He seemed quite distressed. "Shit…..to think that creatures we read about in the Bible and other forms of literature…..actually exists in real life" he thought, still unable to come to terms with what the world currently was coming to.

Wang took several steps forward, aiming to get out of the alleyway. "Whatever feelings each of you may have, I have a pressing matter that needs to be addressed. Therefore, it is imperative that I reach Violet System's HQ. Lee Chaolan and Lars Alexandersson must be informed of what we have witnessed" he said before continuing walking.

"Then I'll best be following you. Aiding the anti-Mishima movement could perhaps be beneficial to me as well" Rodeo joined up with the old man, yet the American soldier couldn't help but to look over his shoulder to see Miguel walking up with them. "Oh, so you wanna come along with us?" he asked the Spaniard.

"Only because I've got nowhere else to go! I can't go back to España now that Japan is under lockdown" Miguel spat back, trying his best not to get friendly with these people. "Besides, I've wasted enough time going from bar to bar. I need a break" he then admitted as she joined with Wang and Rodeo.

The elderly man smiled beneath his long white beard. "A wise decision, Miguel Caballero Rojo" Wang remarked, addressing the Spaniard by his name.

As much as he was surprised, Miguel didn't wanna give much thought about Wang's sudden embrace towards him. Indeed, he was already convinced that other contestants from the tournament resented him for his hotheadedness. Perhaps it was time for Miguel to prove these people wrong. After all, he had done that one time, when he chose to spare Jin's life rather than killing him.

"I may have to find some shelter while this lockdown continues. Still, I won't get myself involved in whatever circus that violet-loving cabron has formed" the Spaniard thought as he accompanied Wang and Rodeo.

Not far from where the trio currently was, Isaak and Rumi were secretly hiding behind a container. Once the coast was clear, the two leaders of the Resistance got out of their hiding place. They began summarizing what they had been through.

"Finally, that angry bull is gone. I bet that US soldier will have a hard time trying to tie him up" Isaak remarked, feeling relieved to know that Miguel was gone for now.

But Rumi had different thoughts than what her partner had. "Isaak, that old guy with the long beard. He's no ordinary man" she uttered out, much to Isaak's confusion.

"Huh? What are you saying?" the Israeli soldier quizzed her.

"Don't you know!? That man's Wang Jinrei, one of the greatest martial artists of China!" Rumi rebuffed his cluelessness.

Hearing that name really made Isaak's eyes widen in surprise. "You mean that wrinkly geezer was THE Wang Jinrei!? No way!" he exclaimed out in disbelief. "But what in the world is someone like him doing in Japan? Wait, you don't suppose that he…" the Israeli soldier asked, only for Rumi to do the rest of the talking.

"It's quite possible he is. Maybe he knows about Revenant sneaking around Japan. Or perhaps she has come here to fight Yue" Rumi was trying to come up with an answer.

"Whatever his reasons are, we best get back to the Shadow Coliseum ASAP! We'll tell Taiga about what we saw. But then there's Yue. Surely, she won't be happy when she hears about Wang Jinrei being here in Kyoto. You know how much she resents him" Rumi suggested what their next move should be.

Isaak scoffed in hearing this. "Tch, as if that's something to be worried about!" the Israeli man was dismissive.

The two friends then made their way towards their hangout, hoping to reach HQ and tell the other leaders of the Resistance in what they had seen. And of course, they were expecting Yue to get quite furious once they brought up Wang.

* * *

 _Outside the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

Lei Wulong, Master Raven and Raven had barely survived getting pursued by L'ordine. Had it not been for the unexpected assistance from Nina Williams, they would have most likely been caught. But with the bridge over the Oi River being destroyed as a result of an exploding fuel truck, the trio was able to speed up to Tokyo without any worries. But their greatest challenge was yet to come.

The police officer was currently engaged in a heated argument with several security guards at the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ. The Chinese man would not leave until he was granted an interview with Heihachi himself. However, the security guards remained stubborn.

"No, the boss does not wish to do interviews! We've said the same to any journalist dumb enough to come here. But if you are asking for comment, then we can always refer you to his lawyer" one of the security guards informed Lei.

"You think I'm some journalist? Bullcrap!" Lei spat as he showed the security guards his badge. "You're speaking to Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police, as well as an agent of Interpol! Perhaps you wanna rephrase that statement now!" he then dared the security guards.

Another one stepped forward to look at Lei's badge, yet he was unfazed. "It doesn't make a difference. The boss wishes not to comment on recent events. And as my colleague just said, seek comments from the lawyer. Believe me, he will be more than happy to speak to you on the boss' behalf" the security guard told Lei, sounding more respectful than his partner.

"I don't wanna talk with his damn lawyer, I wanna talk with Heihachi! He's the one who has been causing news headlines lately! That's why I demand to have this interview! Forget about the lawyer!" Lei stood firm, refusing to yield nor take the security guards' offer.

"Sir, if you don't wanna wish to speak with him, then we must please ask you to leave this property!" another security guard issued a warning to the Chinese man.

"No! I'm not leaving until I've gotten an interview with Heihachi and that's final!" Lei hit back.

The angry security guard started to physically grab Lei by his right shoulder. "Listen, if you wanna carry on being a nuisance, then you leave us no choice but to call on the Tekken Force. And trust me, they won't be as patient with you as we are now!" he warned Lei, hoping to make him leave.

Still, Lei was not moved. He even swatted the security guard's arm away from him. "Hey! I don't know what kind of code of manners you guys have, but you sure as hell don't put your hands on a police officer!" the Chinese man stood on his defensive.

As Lei did that, he noticed one of the security guards communicating with the device stuck in his right ear. "Security to HQ. Requesting backup from the Tekken Force immediately!" the security guard informed his superiors.

" _Affirmative. Sending backup now_ " the voice belonged to someone working inside HQ responded to the request.

"Sir, you have five seconds to leave this property before reinforcements arrive. Take our advice or face the consequences!" the security guard then issued another warning to Lei.

Lei could already see several soldiers of the Tekken Force coming from each side. Realizing that it was hopeless, the police officer made a run for it. As much as he wanted to teach those security guards a lesson or two, Lei felt that it was not worth the effort. Without bidding farewell, the Chinese man ran away as fast as he could. He really couldn't stomach dealing with the Tekken Force.

By the time he had stopped running, Lei was outside the Zaibatsu's property. Regardless, it filled him with frustration. "Argh! This is so stupid! I can't believe that I risked my butt to come here only to be denied an interview with that old goat himself! Damnit!" Lei cursed, kicking an empty can that lied on the sidewalk.

He then sat on a bench by himself. It didn't take long before he had company in the form of Master Raven and Raven. Neither of the agents seemed surprised in Lei's failure, nor were they amused by his results.

"What did we tell you?" Raven sternly asked Lei as he stood by the bench. "Heihachi has no interest in speaking to anyone, not even Interpol" he added to his explanation.

"I already know that, shut up!" Lei hit back, feeling quite sour.

But neither of the agents were stunned by his attitude. In their minds, it was foreseeable. "There's no sense in getting all mopey about it, detective. Sureley, there must be other ways to gain info from the Zaibatsu, don't you think?" Master Raven questioned him.

When she asked him that, an idea popped up inside Lei's mind. He took a glance at the nearby convenience store on the sidewalk. It was a 7-Eleven. Lei hadn't forgotten about his mischievous little idea on how to get some time alone. The very thought about it only made him snicker.

Standing up from the bench, Lei walked towards the 7-Eleven. "Yeah, I see what you mean there, Master Raven. But look, I gotta go to the bathroom. You two just wait outside. I'll be back as soon as I can" the Chinese man told the agents before disappearing into the building.

The agents were left by themselves and Raven seemed quite irritated for some reason. "Argh, what a giant pain in my ass. And to think he's stupid enough to risk tooth and nail to come here. I knew this was doomed to fail from the start" Raven muttered as he leaned himself against a lamppost.

"While I share your sentiments about Lei's poor choices, I wouldn't have judged him so quickly, Raven" Master Raven informed her subordinate. Raven cooked an eyebrow as he glanced at her saying that. "Indeed. As much as his cavalier attitude annoys me, I can understand his passionate desire to help this world's population. He clearly takes his job seriously" the black-skinned woman added to her assessment of Lei's characteristics.

Even so, Raven remained dismissive. "Since when did you get so sentimental? I thought you were the no-nonsense type of woman who despised immaturity" he said while adjusting his sunglasses.

Master Raven got directly up in Raven's face, much to his surprise. Still, she made no move against him. "I'm only sentimental towards those who have earned it, Raven. However, I also can't help but to feel annoyed when someone like you resort to immature behavior. Let me recall this meaningless rivalry you have with Yoshimitsu of the Manji Party" she scolded her subordinate.

Raven knew what his superior was talking about. It was true that he and Yoshimitsu had in the past clashed about the definition of being a ninja. This had resulted in the two forming a rivalry when it came to ninjutsu. But Master Raven had not taken kindly to this. In her mind, Raven's rivalry with Yoshimitsu was just a distraction from his duties to the service of the world.

"Like I told you before, I was only trying to teach that fool about how true ninjutsu works. His from the Manji Party is complete phony when compared to true ninjutsu" Raven justified his reason for having this rivalry.

Still, Master Raven was not swayed by his argument. "Such rivalries are nothing more than a distraction. Instead of focusing on him, you should be focused on real threats such as the Mishimas….and Sergei Dragunov" she reminded her subordinate about who Raven should take caution with.

Raven scowled in response. "Oh God, please don't bring that name up again. It's getting annoying" he then complained, growing tired of Dragunov being mentioned.

Master Raven curled her lips into a smirk. "Works every time" she mused to herself.

But as the two agents still waited for Lei to come out, Raven caught something from his sensor on his sunglasses. They read something about activity taking place to his right. Apparently, it was telling him about Lei. Without thinking, Raven entered the 7-Eleven, with Master Raven tagging along. They both ignored the stares they were being given by the customers.

"What's this all about, Raven?" Master Raven wanted some answers.

"I don't know. But my sensors tell me that Lei Wulong is far away. It's picking up date from the necklace he was given by Lars" Raven responded.

The two agents stood outside the bathroom, realizing that it was locked. But Raven used the x-ray scanner on his sunglasses to get a clear view behind the door. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"What the hell…..he's not inside" Raven uttered out as he kept tapping on his sunglasses.

Master Raven decided to unlock the door with the help of her sword. She felt destroying it was completely unnecessary. After unlocking the door, the two agents opened it too see for themselves. To their surprise, Lei was nowhere to be seen.

"This is impossible! There's no windows here. How could he have exited the toilet without using the door?" Raven was in disbelief in what he was seeing.

His superior had already found the answer. Her eyes facing above the toilet. "I think the answer is right up there" she pointed her finger at the ventilation system hanging above. "It's hard to notice it, but you can tell that the grates have been opened. And this can only mean one thing" Master Raven summarized before taking her leave.

Raven couldn't help but to feel dumbfounded. "You must be joking…..he used the ventilation system to get out of the toilet. Still, why is he doing this?" he wondered as he followed his superior out of the 7-Eleven.

Master Raven was trying to walk around the corner in which the ventilation system was running out of the building. She and Raven got into the alleyway, in hopes of catching Lei there. But once they reached the spot, the police officer was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn! He escaped long before we even could catch onto him!" Master Raven cursed, yet she began searching the area for clues. "There must be some reason for him to be acting this way. But until we know for certain, let's find some clues" she suggested while beginning searching for footprints.

Something hit inside Raven's head when he heard Master Raven say that. He recalled learning about something that was about to take place in Tokyo. "Wait a minute. If I recall correctly, there's a G Corporation exhibition taking place. Apparently, the conglomerate wants to show everyone what it can offer to the international public" the agent added to his statement.

"I still don't see how this relate to Lei Wulong. Why in the world would he be…." Master Raven was slowly beginning to see the picture her subordinate was trying to show her. "Lucky Chloe…of course!" she noted grimly.

"Yeah. There's no doubt that she's there at Kazuya's behest. For what reason, I don't know. But given that he's a staunch fanboy of hers, Lei is without a doubt heading there as we speak. I say we go and catch up to him before he does anything stupid" Raven suggested, feeling more than willing to get his hands on Lei.

Master Raven was about to respond to her subordinate, only to hear the sound of a speeding bullet heading towards her from above. Given her incredible reflexes as a swordswoman, Master Raven quickly reacted by pulling out her blade and cutting the bullet in half. That only put Raven on high alert, given that someone had fired at his superior. The bullet came from a sniper rifle.

The two agents looked up to see none other than Nina Williams standing on a balcony. But she was not alone, as Yoshimitsu was sitting on the balcony's grind. Nina removed herself from the sniper rifle's aim, glancing down at the two agents with her usual stern demeanor. However, she soon found herself staring smugly at Master Raven specifically.

"Amazing reflexes you have there. To think that you were able to cut the bullet in half. It appears the rumors about you were true" Nina spoke out of admiration of Master Raven.

The black-skinned woman only narrowed her eyes in return. "You thought a mere bullet from a sniper rifle was gonna end me? I've sliced rockets plenty of times before" she said in order to minimize Nina's words about her. "And which leads me to ask you this: why did you do that?" Master Raven wanted some answers out of the assassin.

"I only wanted to test your reflexes, nothing else" Nina replied, not mincing her words. "But in all honesty, it's me who should be asking what two agents from the UN are doing near the Mishima Zaibatsu's HQ" she added, her eyes never leaving sight of the two agents.

"As if we would ever share details with Jin Kazama's ex-bodyguard" Raven spoke up, not hiding his mistrustfulness of Nina.

The blonde Irishwoman was unfazed at Raven's words. "If you didn't know any better, I no longer have dealings with that man. Nor do I have any interest in the Zaibatsu for that matter" Nina insisted to the agents.

"That's not how it looks to me" Raven replied, soon directing his attention to Yoshimitsu. "And you! Since when did you start cooperating with this woman? I thought members of the Manji Party despised people such as assassins" the man with the sunglasses added.

Yoshimitsu brandished his sword, still sitting on the grind as if noting was bothering him. "My motives for this partnership of convenience is none of your concern. It is for the sake of helping this war's most affected. Since the Zaibatsu started this carnage, its riches will be given to them as compensation" the swordsman revealed about his plans.

Nina was furious in what she heard him say. "Damnit, Yoshimitsu! This was supposed to be between us!" she scolded him, yet Yoshimitsu didn't seem to care.

"So you're saying that you plan on stealing the treasures of the Zaibatsu? An admirable but risky move" Master Raven was amused in hearing what their plan was. But the expression on her face changed quickly. "Still, if you really wanna help end this war, then you should try stopping Heihachi instead of stealing his riches" the agent added to her opinion.

"Isn't that something you two are supposed to do?" Nina then questioned her, starting to feel like Master Raven was being ironic when saying such things. "Just to clarify, I fight for coins, not causes. Therefore, I don't give a damn about what this war" the blonde Irishwoman continued by explaining her profession.

Master Raven's blood boiled when hearing how someone like Nina could act so ignorant with regards to the suffering the world's population was experiencing. Her grip on her sword only tightened, indicating that she was more than willing to slash the assassin for her rudeness.

But Nina had caught wind of it, so she aimed her sniper rifle at the agent. "You won't be ruining our plans, UN-lapdogs! Mind your own damn business!" she snapped before pulling the trigger.

"You fool! What are you doing!?" Yoshimitsu was in disbelief at Nina's actions.

The bullet headed straight towards Master Raven, and Nina was certain that it would pierce her this time. But the assassin was in for a surprise when she could see the black-skinned woman vanish from her spot. It made her cautious.

"What!? Where did she go!?" Nina exclaimed out of distress.

"It's too late to ask that now!" the voice of Master Raven came from above, as she was prepared to land her attack upon Nina. "Now you face my judgement!" she exclaimed while dashing down towards the stunned assassin.

Nina gritted her teeth in frustration. "Damn! When did she appear…" she stopped speaking when Yoshimitsu stepped forward to clash swords against Master Raven. Clearly, he had anticipated the agent's move better than Nina.

"Have you learned nothing!? Against ninjas, firearms are useless!" Yoshimitsu berated Nina while continuing to fight against Master Raven.

"One: I don't recall ever asking you for a lecture! And two: how many times must I tell you to stop butting in!?" Nina was not grateful for what her partnier of convenience had done.

Yoshimitsu ignored her complaining and focused on overpowering his opponent. Eventually, Master Raven was pushed back, yet she quickly landed on a nearby balcony below Yoshimitsu and Nina on the other side. She was joined by Raven.

"It really baffles me how you are willing to team up with an assassin to reach your goals, Yoshimitsu. If I didn't know any better, you're disregarding the philosophy of the Manji Party" Master Raven expressed her opinion on the swordsman.

Raven didn't seem surprised to see Yoshimitsu defend Nina. "It's just his nature, Master Raven. He always picks sides with the one he feels benefits him most" he told his superior.

Yoshimitsu didn't take kindly to that statement. "I will not let a false ninja like you judge me for how I will assist this world's vulnerable people" he retorted.

Master Raven, realizing what Nina and Yoshimitsu were planning on doing, decided to stand on the grind. She faced the duo with disdainful eyes. "It appears to me that you two are planning on snooping around the Mishima Zaibatsu's HQ. Truth be told, me and Raven were thinking about the same thing" she remarked, her lips curling into a smirk.

Nina raised an eyebrow in hearing her words. "What about it? I'm only in this for the reward" the Irishwoman pointed out.

"What I am saying is that we could perhaps come to an agreement with regards to our common goals. After all, we both share an enmity towards the Zaibatsu" Master Raven suggested, specifically facing Nina. "And I know for a fact you two have been helping Jin Kazama in the past. Would you like to see him again, perhaps?" she continued, still acting smug towards the duo.

Raven was confused in what her superior was doing. "Just what are you implying, Master Raven?" he asked her.

"Be still, little brother and listen" she shut him down.

Yoshimitsu, while feeling a little suspicious towards the agent duo, lowered his guard. "Hmm…..I will admit, it sounds tempting. But could you please elaborate in what you are suggesting, agent? If you tell me, I may be interested" the swordsman wanted some words.

Master Raven smirked. "With pleasure, Yoshimitsu" she told him.

* * *

 _Outside the G Corporation Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan_

Lei Wulong had succeeded. Having fooled the agents into believing that he was going for a toilet visit, Lei had escaped the place by using the ventilation system. He was now free to do as he pleased, including visiting the nearby exhibition hosted by the G Corporation. The police officer was determined was meet with his newly-acquired idol: Lucky Chloe. Currently, he was standing outside the building where the exhibition would take place.

"Alright! This is it! I better go and check inside! I bet Lucky Chloe already has showed up at her autograph booth" Lei exclaimed.

Underneath his jacket, the Chinese man was wearing a Lucky Chloe t-shirt. That only signified his admiration of the teenage idol. But still, Lei knew that he would have to be careful, as the exhibition was arranged by enemies.

After paying to get ticket, Lei entered the building, unable to hide his excitement. Entering a hall, he was exposed to all kinds of lights and people. The exhibition had more visitors than what Lei himself could ever imagine. It was obvious that many people still looked up to the G Corp as "heroes" in the ongoing war. That image had been reinstated in wake of the incident involving the Mishima Zaibatsu's satellite death ray.

Mingling among the crowds of visitors, Lei struggled to see where he was supposed to go. But he stopped once he could hear the sound of someone preparing a microphone. The people in the crowd stood still and looked to the right.

There was a scene and a young blonde-haired woman was seen standing. Like most researches of the G Corp, she wore a white lab coat. This was Jane, a member of the development team of the JACKs. From the looks of it, she was preparing what appeared to be welcoming speech.

"Greetings to you all, ladies and gentleman. On behalf of Kazuya Mishima himself, I welcome each and everyone of you to this exclusive G Corporation Exhibition. Here, we will give you visitors the opportunity to witness the technology of the future. All the projects we are working on so far, we will give you an insight. My name is Jane, and I am one of the many researchers who have contributed to these projects, especially with regards to our newer JACK-models" Jane began the welcoming speech, the timid woman surprisingly being able to speak clearly while facing so many people.

As he stood and listened, Lei couldn't help but to recognize Jane. "Wait a second. Does that face seem familiar? The name…as well as that face….." Lei was slowly starting to recall some files he had read long ago. It didn't take long before the Chinese man managed to puzzle his memories. "Woah…...I can't believe it! She's the little girl that was seen being carried by a JACK-robot years ago! It was during the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2. Boy, did she grow up so fast. She's now a researcher at the G Corp" he remembered reading files about a little girl that had been protected by a JACK-robot when she was orphaned.

While listening to Jane, Lei couldn't help but to grasp the fact how this Jane had grown up to be a researcher while he…...well, was still the same cop as he was many years go. It was hard for him to believe in how older he was getting.

"Man, can't believe how much years have passed. Then again, I have never really given much thought about aging. My job has always been my priority rather than appearance" Lei mused in his thoughts. He was proud to be the same hardworking police officer as he was during his younger years. In his mind, nothing had really changed, except his appearance, perhaps.

"While you are here at the exhibition, you may want to take a look out our many attractions we offer you. Take a selfie with our newest JACK-model, or get the chance to see a real-life dinosaur. But that's not all" Jane explained to everyone through the microphone. It looked as if she was prepared to introduce someone. "Allow me to welcome a famous superstar that has been more than kind to participate in the G Corp's promotion ads. Ladies and gentlemen, here's everyone's favorite otaku: Lucky Chloe!" the researcher announced a special visitor, much to the cheers of the crowds before here.

Giving applause from the podium, Jane watched as Lucky Chloe appeared on the stage, demonstrating some of her dance moves. She impressed the audience by doing some breakdancing. Her fans cheered in approval, something the teenage girl only liked. Even Lei was among those who shouted in support of the young blondie.

"Hello, everybody! It's me, Lucky Chloe!" she spoke while doing her signature pose. Once again, her audience screamed out of admiration. "Wow, what a great audience I see here! You've no idea how long I've waited for you to come to this exhibition! And that you're here, let me just ask you this: ARE YOU READYYYYY!?" Chloe spoke while daring her audience to scream an answer.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" it didn't take long for her devoted fans to reply. And of course, Lei was screaming with them.

"Alright! Now that's what I'm talking about! Since it's obvious that you're ready, allow me to explain my program for today! First, I'll be having an autograph booth down that corner in a few minutes. Over there, you can also take a picture with me while we dance! Heck, I'll learn you a few of my moves! Surely you can't resist that, can you?" Chloe was explaining the first phase of the program, much to the approval of the audience. She giggled as she heard how enthusiastic her fans were. "Okay! Take it easy, guys. I know your answer. Then you best start heading there now and form a line if you wanna get my autograph and some of my dance moves. And you best do it quick. Because in an hour from now on, I will be having a live concert on this very stage. But don't be afraid, you're all invited to come see me! It'll be fun! Trust me! So until we meet again, have a lucky time at this exhibition! See you later, guys!" the teenage girl was finished speaking and soon disappeared from the stage. Still, her fans were chanting words to express their admiration of Chloe.

Lei was in a very good mood now, more than ever. The announcements Chloe made had only strengthened his desire to stay in this exhibition. Knowing that he couldn't afford time to waste, he squeezed his way through the crowds. It was hard, yet Lei kept pushing on.

"This has to be my luckiest day ever! Not only will I get the chance to receive her autograph and dance moves. I'll be able to witness her perform a live concert!" Lei was feeling so gleeful in the inside that he didn't mind pushing people gently aside. "But first, I'm gonna get her autograph! And while we're at it, I may as well show Chloe some of my dance moves. She will definitely be impressed! I just know it!" he added to his thoughts while moving.

But behind the curtains on the stage, Lucky Chloe was in secret communicating with someone. Making sure that no one was following her, the teenage girl tapped on her headphones.

"Hey, boss! That police officer you spoke of. I think I saw him among the crowds. He's finally here" Chloe informed her superior.

" _Excellent! That bumbling oaf is taking the bait like a fish. You know what to do next, Chloe. Give him your autograph and invite him for a dance off. When you get the chance, plant the wire where he will not notice. Let me know when you have succeeded_ " the voice communicating belonged to Kazuya.

Chloe saluted with her right paw-like glove, even though her superior was not present and unable to see here do that. "Yessir! Your wish is my command! I will not let you down!" she responded.

" _Good. Kazuya out_ " those were the last words before the communication stopped.

Knowing that her boss would not hear her, Chloe cursed herself for doing this kind of mission. Truth be told, the teenage girl was disgusted by the fact that a middle-aged man was a fan of hers.

"I swear, this is so embarrassing. Why the heck did I even agree to do this? I love my fans to death and all. But when that fan is some old, wrinkled dude, I have reservations. This better not ruin my image" she complained before continuing moving to the place she was supposed to have her autograph booth.

Back in the great hall, visitors were anxious to see what kind of technology the G Corp was known for. Jaws were dropping, cameras were snapped and men and women were amused with what they witnessed.

At one attraction, JACK-7 was copying poses a Japanese teenage boy was making. Those poses were those done mostly by real-life machinists and action heroes. The boy's friends filmed the way JACK-7 was able to do the same thing as the boy did.

"WOAH! LOOK AT THAT! HE'S DOING EVERYTHING I DO! YO, ARE YOU GUYS FILMING THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS FREAKING AWESOME!" the teenage boy was so happy to do this.

JACK-7 didn't seem to have no reservations about doing these poses. Then again, he was only a robot, with a heart of gold on the inside. He continued entertaining the young boys as he showed them what he was capable of. That only added to the excitement.

At another attraction, several Japanese schoolgirls were having the rare opportunity to see Alex. And not just that, they were also taking selfies with the prehistoric creature. Alex didn't seem to mind the gleeful and sassy atittudes coming from the schoolgirls.

"Oh my God! Like, we so gotta selfie this! That costume is like, so real!" one of the schoolgirls exclaimed, despite being told that Alex was indeed a real dinosaur.

"Yeah! Make sure like, we get a good shot of his teeth and eyes! They are like, so sharp and real!" another schoolgirl expressed her admiration.

"Screw that! Any shot is like worthy as long we have him in it!" the third schoolgirl scolded her friend.

Alex understood human speech, yet he couldn't grasp the fact why these schoolgirls was acting so dimwitted. None of them seemed to take his appearance for real. They all thought he was just some guy in a costume. Still, the dinosaur with the boxing gloves allowed the schoolgirls to take a selfie with him, albeit in a confused manner.

JACK-7 and Alex were not the only ones to be given their own chance to impress people. The biomechanical weapon called Gigas was also at the exhibition. Even now, people were gathering for a show that seemed to have Gigas in focus. Specifically, it was a weightlifting show.

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Watch as our newest biomechanical creation Gigas show us his monstrous strength! He will now lift about 500kg weight! Prepare to be amazed!" a researcher enthusiastically told everyone as the show was about to begin.

Without flinching, the red-skinned behemoth lifted the weight with all his might. His arms were monstrous and muscular. Slowly, Gigas amazed his audience as he lifted the weight up in the air while growling like some animal. Cheers and applauses were given to him.

"Amazing, wasn't it! Well that's Gigas to you! The ultimate biomechanical creation we of the G Corp is proud to have made! Stay here if you wanna see what else he's capable of!" the researcher convinced the audience to stay.

Someone had watched the show from afar. It was Lei. Seeing Gigas had brought nothing but horror in the police officer's mind. He remembered what Master Raven had told him about Gigas.

"I can't believe this…those heartless bastards!" Lei cursed as he watched some of the researches put chains around Gigas. Right now, he was supposed to break free of the chains with his muscular might. Still, the very sight of Gigas being treated as a zoo animal filled Lei with disgust. "The audiences may not know it, but that is without question a living human being. And to think that the G Corp are willing to experiment on humans by injecting them with drugs! This must be due to Kazuya's hold over the conglomerate" the police officer noted, realizing in how much depraved the G Corp had become under Kazuya's leadership.

Lei knew from digging out files from the Mishima Zaibatsu that they had also done atrocious things in the name of research. He only had to look at his friend Steve Fox to see any evidence. However, the G Corp were in Lei's mind no angels either. Gigas was evidence of that fact.

"Oh shoot! The autograph booth! I gotta hurry!" Lei had almost forgotten where he was going. Without delay, he sprinted his way towards the corner where Lucky Chloe would be having her place.

Once the Chinese man reached the place, he froze. Believe it or not, there was a long line at the autograph booth. Apparently, many Lucky Chloe-fans had showed up at the exhibition for this particular reason. But Lei never knew that a line would be formed so quickly. He felt so shattered on the inside.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Lei yelled, yet he didn't say that out in the open. Grumbling, the police officer stood in the line, feeling very miserable that it was that long. He also took notice of how it was not moving an inch. "Damnit! This is will take an hour or two! I probably have to ask for her autograph after Chloe has done her live performance! But I have the whole day…sort of" Lei muttered before rubbing his face with both hands.

It was apparent that the police officer was also thinking about the agents. He knew that they were going to give him an earful once he returned to them. But that was if they could find him. The expression on Lei's face changed into that of a mischievous fox.

"Come on! Those guys can cut me some slack! For weeks, I've been busting my ass to find clues about whatever nonsense those Mishimas have created. But still, I end up at a crossroads. Still, I know that I can't give up! They people on this world are counting on me…even if I can't carry all of their burdens on my shoulders" Lei began recalling to what he had done with regards to his research on the Mishimas.

The Chinese man was in deep thought as he waited in the line. So many thoughts were swirling inside his mind. However, they all stopped once someone was calling out to him from the right side.

"Excuse me, sir" Lei's bubble burst and he looked to see a G Corp security guard standing to his right. This made him snap, as he had not expected to be approached by the exhibition's security guard. "Are you Lei Wulong from the Hong Kong Police?" the security guard questioned him sternly.

Lei gulped. "Crap! How did they know it's me! Or more importantly, why is he asking me that!?" he wondered in his mind. Still, Lei decided to reply. "Umm…yes. I'm Lei Wulong" he awkwardly responded, not knowing whether he was in trouble or not.

The frown on the security guard's face turned upside down. "Good. Then you may come with me. Lucky Chloe is demanding your appearance this instant" he told Lei and motioned for him to follow the security guard.

Lei was left speechless. Did he hear it right? Was Chloe asking for his appearance? Whatever it was, he felt like he was dreaming. The police officer stood still, unable to grasp what he had just been told.

"Well? Are you coming?" the security guard asked him.

This made Lei snap in his thoughts. "Wah, of course! Certainly!" he responded and followed the security guard by walking past the long line. "Is this for real!? Does Lucky Chloe actually wanna see me!? I must be losing my mind!" Lei was unable to find a right way to ease this excitement that was building within him.

As he walked, the fans in the line began complaining as they watched Lei being taken straight to the autograph booth. The booth consisted of a long table where Lucky Chloe sat by herself. But she was not alone, as security guards were standing by her side, making sure that no one dared approaching the teen idol without permission. It didn't take long before Chloe's eyes met Lei's.

When that happened, the blonde-haired girl rose up from her seat and waved her paw-like gloves at Lei. "Hi! You must be the cop I've heard so much about! What was it again? Lee? Law? I'm not so sure" Chloe began speaking.

Stunned as Lei was, he had to reply to Chloe's question. "It's Lei. Lei Wulong" he said without any hesitation. His jacket was opened, thus revealing the Lucky Chloe t-shirt beneath it. "It's a great pleasure to finally meet you, Lucky Chloe! I'm a big fan of your music and dance moves!" he said while reaching out a hand.

"Aww, that is so sweet of you to say, mister. Truth be told, I never knew that I had admirers in the law enforcement" Chloe gushed, although she was secretly faking it. She also couldn't help but to bite her tongue in seeing the t-shirt he wore. Regardless, Chloe tried to put on a positive image. "Whatever, I'm still happy to meet you, Lei" she then told him while shaking hands.

Lei was at loss for words. But he wanted to know how she knew about him. "Say, how did you know about my identity? You know, this is actually our first meeting" the Chinese man questioned her.

Chloe, who knew just what to say, played it cool. "Come on! Who doesn't know Hong Kong's infamous Super Cop? Your reputation is widely known throughout the world. And since you're a cop, I feel like I can trust you. You know how difficult it is for celebrities to find security these days" she answered Lei while whispering at the end of his sentence.

Confused as he was, Lei still accepted her explanation. "Ah, alright" he said, not knowing what else to say.

"Now then. I take it you want my autograph, correct?" Chloe suddenly reminded him.

"Oh, yeah! The autograph! Silly me!" Lei chuckled nervously while reaching for what appeared to be an autograph book. He opened a page and put it on the table for the teenage idol to see. "It doesn't have to be big or anything. Just write it down in any size you want" the police officer mumbled between his words.

Chloe giggled in return. "Sure thing! Just give me a second or two" she told him and began writing on the autograph book. The pen she was using had the face of a cat. That was obvious given Chloe's fondness for cats in Japanese culture. Once she was finished, Chloe showed Lei what she had written. "Here you go, mister! I also added a little flavor to it, you know, just to make sure that it's my handwriting" she explained, yet Lei was far too stuck on glancing at her writing.

Lei's eyes were filled with surprise. His hands grabbed hold of the autograph book. The very sight of Chloe's signature had rendered him completely speechless.

"Oh my God…I can't believe it….…your signature is…...terrific! I mean, look at that little drawing of yours you added there! It's so cute!" Lei was acting like a teenage boy right now.

To see someone at his age behave in such manner baffled Chloe to the fullest. "Okaaaaaay…." Chloe uttered out the only word she could come up with. But the young girl had not forgotten her mission. "Anyway, how about I teach you some of my moves? Trust me, it won't take long" she said and got up from her seat.

Lei could see that she was leading him to a place where there was cameraman ready to take pictures of anyone standing with Chloe on set. It was another thing that the fans desired most. When he saw this, the Chinese man felt more than obliged to do so.

"Oh, you bet I will! Hey, if you don't mind, I'd like to show you some of my own dance moves" Lei told the cosplayer.

Chloe looked at him with a cooked eyebrow. "Hold the phone. Your dance moves? Are you saying you dance too?" asked out of curiosity.

"You got that right! But it's more like combining my form of martial arts with dancing. I would love to show you some of my fighting skills, but that will have to wait" Lei insisted to him before standing right on the set he was supposed to. "So then. Let's get this started. Show me how you do things!" he said with so much confidence beaming inside him.

Not knowing what to say, Chloe decided to do as he requested. As the camera's snapped, the young otaku showed Lei some of her dance moves, as well as her signature pose. She seemed more than kind enough to teach him some of her moves. But deep down, she felt embarrassed. Chloe understood that this was all just an act to fool Lei.

When she had given him some lessons, Chloe realized that the time to plant the wire upon the police officer was now. The teenage girl knew just the right move to use. As disgusting as she felt about doing this, Chloe swallowed her pride.

"Hey, mister! How about you and I take a hug pic together? That's what I have done with the fans before you came" Chloe offered him a chance to give her a hug.

Lei was surprised to hear her suggest it at first. But he eventually saw the benefit in doing this. "Sure! How can I say no to that? It's not everyday you get to hug your favorite artist" he responded.

By hearing this, Chloe secretly cringed. However, she hid it well before the police officer. And he fell for it. "Man, for being a cop, he sure is gullible" the teenage girl remarked in her thoughts. But she brushed it off and stretched her arms out. "Alright. I'm ready when you're ready! Be sure to look at the camera while we're hugging" she spoke to him.

Lei didn't need to be told twice. Without even thinking, his arms were held around Chloe. They embraced in a hug. Once the two looked at the camera, it began snapping endlessly. But it was in this moment that Chloe did her superior's deed. She secretly planted the wire where Lei would not expect it: one of the pockets inside his jacket. Chloe had to make sure that the wire was tightly secured and that it was hidden from sight as quick as possible.

As she succeeded in fooling Lei and planted the wire on him, Chloe was feeling very confident in her own abilities. "Good job, Chloe, you mischievous, little kitten!" she mused to herself in what she accomplished.

 _To be continued…_


	36. Finding an Answer

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 36: Finding an Answer**

 _Inside the spa at Violet System's HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

Having felt very anxious about recent events, Lee Chaolan and Lars Alexandersson had decided to have some rest and relaxation in Lee's personal spa. Given the wealth he possessed, the spa at Violet System's HQ had plenty of opportunities to offer those who visited. It had masseurs, a sauna and even an onsen. Regardless, the spa was a perfect place be at in order to get some stress off their shoulders.

Lee and Lars were currently being taken care of by the masseurs. Both men enjoyed this as they each lied on their own bedchairs. Right now, the masseurs were doing their feet, cleaning them with warm towels.

"Ahhhhh…...now this feels good" Lars expressed his satisfaction as he felt his feet being taken care of. "I'm not gonna lie, I really deserved some rest and relaxation" he then spoke to Lee.

"What did I tell you? A little R&R doesn't hurt. Besides, we have both been so focused on planning our move against the Zaibatsu that we have neglected ourselves. We must not forget about who we are, Lars" Lee responded, before snapping his fingers to call forth a suitor. "Pardon me, madame. One glass of champagne for me, please" he requested from her in a polite manner.

The young suitor nodded her head in agreement. "As you wish, Mr. Lee" she responded formally before taking her leave.

"You sure you don't want anything to drink?" Lee asked Lars if he wanted something.

But the Swedish man was already content with the massage. "No thanks. This massage plus this chilling music are all I need" Lars replied.

Lee chuckled to himself out of amusement. "If you say so" he said, feeling glad about Lars enjoying himself in the spa. The white-haired man leaned onto this bedchair, feeling the tenderness of his toes getting massaged. "Frankly, I'm glad that it's just the two of us here. The other guys are probably having a good time in the sauna" the business tycoon admitted.

"Hmmm, you don't say" Lars remarked in return.

Lee could see his glass of champagne arriving quickly. "Oh, lovely. Just the right time for a drink. Thank you so much" he expressed his gratitude towards the suitor.

"You're welcome, sir" she bowed before walking away.

As the white-haired man glanced down at the glass of champagne, Lee couldn't help but to smell at its amora. He liked it. After doing that, he proceeded to take sip of the champagne, feeling the taste as it ran down his throat.

"Ah, nothing beats a glass of champagne while getting a foot massage. There's nothing more I could ask for" Lee exclaimed, only to snap once he could hear the vibration of his cell phone. Putting his glass down, Lee grabbed his cell phone to see who it was. It was his secretary who was calling him. "Goodness, what reason could she have for calling me now? I strictly told her not to disturb…no. Please don't tell me that the ladies have caused ruckus on the rooftop pool!" he pleaded before answering.

Lars only watched from his chair in how his adoptive half-brother was speaking on this cell phone. He had to secretly smirk in seeing how slightly distressed Lee seemed. But that wasn't the case, however.

"Excuse me, but I thought I told you not to…say what!?" Lee was speechless as he rose up from his bedchair. "He's here!? Oh my goodness! Then tell him and his compatriots to wait in the lobby. I'll be there as soon as I can. And thank you for telling me this" he ended the phone conversation as he put on what appeared to be a kimono.

Lars was confused. "What's the rush, Lee? What did your secretary tell you?" the Swedish man asked the business tycoon.

"You should also come with me, Lars. He's finally here! The revered master himself, Wang Jinrei, has arrived at this building" Lee revealed as he snapped his fingers to call a suitor's attention. "Would you please give my friend here a kimono?" he told her and the suitor responded without hesitation.

"Wang Jinrei…" Lars remembered the elderly man he had stumbled upon during the previous tournament. Even to this day, Lars had not forgotten the wisdom that came from the old man himself. "Then we best hurry! I can't wait to meet him again. But what about the others in the spa?" he asked his adoptive half-brother as he put on a kimono.

Lee smirked at him in return. "Don't mind them. They may use the spa as they please. And don't worry, they will eventually wanna get out of here" he said before reaching for his cell phone once again. "But we should inform the ladies on the rooftop pool about this visit. There is perhaps one girl who could have the need to see Master Wang" he said while tapping on the numbers on his cell phone.

Lars understood who Lee was talking about. It was Ling Xiaoyu. She had not only trained under Wang's watchful eyes. They were also distant relatives. Therefore, the Swedish man understood why Xiaoyu would have to come down to greet Wang. But Lars couldn't help but to wonder about whether something good could come out of that meeting.

Meanwhile, the spa's sauna was filled with all the male fighters that had allied themselves with the resistance against the Mishima Zaibatsu. Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Baek Doo San and Ganryu were sitting one while Steve Fox, Bob Richards, Craig Marduk, King and Hwoarang sat on the opposite side. Clearly, they had all been to the onsen. Now, they were enjoying the heat and warmth that could be felt inside the sauna.

"Ahh…this feels like heaven" Ganryu expressed his delight in this.

"You could say that, fella" Marshall agreed with the Sumo wrestler.

Steve was observing in how King still wore his jaguar ask despite all this heat. As such, the British man felt tempted to ask if he was alright. But he did his best not to sound rude or impolite.

"Hey, King. Isn't it too hot for you to wear that mask in here?" he asked while facing the Mexican man.

King glanced over to the young boxer. "Believe me, I have been through much warmer climates than this. But I am fine. Still, I appreciate your concern, nonetheless" the luchador replied.

"If you say so. I was only curious" Steve responded politely.

"Do you ever take that mask off?" Hwoarang questioned King. "I mean, it feels kinda weird how you can wear that thing while sitting inside a freaking sauna" the Korean man pointed out.

"Hwoarang…..." Baek scolded his student through gritted teeth.

Despite hearing this kind of tone, King responded to Hwoarang nonetheless. "It is true. I do take this mask off. But only in rare circumstances. One of them is when I take a shower" the masked luchador answered the impulsive Korean in a respectful tone.

Still, Hwoarang was not satisfied by King's answer. "That still doesn't make any sense to me" he remarked.

Marduk, who had grown tired of listening to Hwoarang's mouth, decided to intervene on behalf of his friend. "Hey, kiddo. You got some nerve scorning King's mask when you're wearing an eyepatch in this sauna!" the Vale Tudo fighter pointed out.

Once he heard this, Hwoarang's anger was on full display. "Excuse me? Just for your information, I wear this eyepatch for a good reason! My right eye has been damaged! I got that because I narrowly managed to avoid a grenade getting thrown at me!" the Taekwondo fighter snapped.

This caused Marduk to remember what Baek had told him about Hwoarang. Realizing how fruitless it was to continue this confrontation, he backed down. "Right…...sorry to hear that" the Australian man expressed his sympathy towards the young man.

"Tch, you're sorry? That's really thoughtful of you to say, Mr. Stero…ouch!" Hwoarang's sarcastic outburst was interrupted when Steve punched him on his elbow. "Hey! What gives!?" he demanded an answer from the boxer.

Steve looked very irritated at the moment. "Hey, Hwoarang! Can you just zip it!? I'm trying to enjoy some peace and quiet here, yet you keep running your mouth as usual. So do us all a favor and shut your mouth! I'm tired of listening to you and your bullshitting!" the British man didn't hide his annoyance of Hwoarang's antics.

Everyone in the sauna seemed to be in agreement with what Steve was saying. "Well said, Steve! I couldn't agree more!" Paul agreed while giving him a thumbs up.

"Agreed. We came here for R&R! So cut this crap and chill out, ya loudmouthed bully" Bob joined in on encouraging Hwoarang to ease his anger.

"Just do as they say, kiddo" Marshall encouraged him.

Hwoarang gradually lowered himself in embarrassment as he realized how everyone was against him. Still, that feeling brought more resentment within the young Korean. "Geez, there's no use in getting so cranky. You could've just asked me to stop if it was that big of a deal" he then murmured.

Once he said that, Baek had to scoff at his student's words. "Oh really? And just what makes you think that you would? I've asked you plenty of times to stop being so rash. Did you do it? No" the middle-aged man pointed out.

This only made Hwoarang want to stop speaking. At this point, he knew how people would always find a way to badger him every time he opened his mouth. That's why he decided to keep it shut, for now.

When he realized that his student had calmed himself, Baek took the opportunity to apologize to Marduk and King. "Listen, I know that he won't apologize, but I'll happily do that on his behalf. He really didn't mean any offense with regards to you guys" Baek apologized.

Marduk was somewhat dumbfounded, yet King seemed more than kind enough to receive Baek's words. "Apology accepted" the luchador replied.

The sauna kept getting warmer, as the temperature rose. Still, none of the fighters felt obliged to leave. For most of them, it was refreshing.

"Man…I've never felt so sweatier in my entire life" Bob remarked as he stroked his blonde locks. "How hot is it here, really?" he then wondered, trying to get a peek at the temperature.

"I can't see clearly. All this steam is making me blind" Marshall said as he rubbed his eyes. "Still, I like it that way. It's not everyday you get to use a fancy sauna owned by a wealthy guy" the Chinese-American man said, although he sounded a little mopey at the end of his sentence.

Paul glanced at his best friend with a smug expression. "Green with jealousy, Marshall?" he teasingly asked him by referring to Lee's riches.

Marshall, who understood what Paul was trying to do, shrugged his shoulders. "Tch, I've no idea what you're talking about" he responded, pretending he was not listening.

Meanwhile, Marduk had begun observing those around him. He couldn't help but to smirk when he thought about a certain fact. He faced his partner. "Hey, King. You know something? It appears that I'm the only guy here who's baldheaded. And you are long-haired underneath the mask, right?" he pointed out to King.

The Mexican sighed in annoyance. "Do you really need to ask, Marduk? You already know what I am" the masked luchador sternly pointed out.

In response, the Vale Tudo fighter dismissed King's grumpiness. "Just wanted to point out a fact, buddy. No need to get so hissy" Marduk remarked, stroking his facial beard as he could feel sweat run from the top of his head. He felt himself melting.

Paul was somewhat intrigued by the tattoos on Marduk's torso. "Nice tattoos ya got there, big guy!" the Judo fighter complimented him before showing Marduk his own tattoo on his right arm. Paul had a tattoo of a scorpion across his biceps. "I've got one myself, you see. Isn't it cool?" he revealed his tattoo.

Marduk raised an eyebrow in what he was seeing. "So? What's that scorpion supposed to symbolize?" the Australian man was confused with why Paul was having that thing on his right arm.

Realizing that the conversation didn't go the way he wanted, Paul stopped speaking to Marduk. "I swear, kids these days have no respect for their elders" he grumbled.

* * *

 _Near the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Tokyo, Japan_

So far, no one had dared asking for an interview with Heihachi Mishima himself. Every single journalist had been turned away, either by persuasion or threats of violence. But some people were not so intimidated by such gestures. Among them were the assassin Nina Williams, the swordsman Yoshimitsu and the two agents from the UN: Master Raven and Raven.

After briefly clashing in a nearby alleyway, the two duos had decided to put aside their animosity for a common cause. Clearly both had interest in spying upon the Zaibatsu's HQ. That is why they were willing to go near it.

A few buildings away from the imposing skyscraper that was the Mishima Zaibatsu HQ, Master Raven, Yoshimitsu, Raven and Nina were sneaking upon the place, making sure that nobody saw them. It was obvious that there could perhaps be some sharpshooters on nearby rooftops, yet the group decided to stick to their plan regardless.

"Alright. Just what are we exactly doing here?" Nina questioned Yoshimitsu before turning her suspicious glance towards the two agents. "And why are we teaming up with them?" the assassin wanted some answers out of the swordsman.

Yoshimitsu felt irritated, yet he decided to respond in a plain manner. "Us two alone are not enough to defeat and apprehend Heihachi Mishima, Nina Williams. That man has the strength of a monster. But with the assistance of these two agents, we may stand a chance of victory" he answered her.

Still, Nina didn't feel convinced. "That sounds like some serious wishful thinking" she noted, feeling that Yoshimitsu's plan sounded gullible.

"Don't worry about your reward. When Heihachi is apprehended, you will be compensated by taking whatever riches he has yourself. But that is only when he is defeated" Master Raven sternly reminded Nina about their terms for letting her in on this alliance of convencience.

In response to this, Nina rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll agree to your terms. But know that I won't be commanded by UN-lapdogs like you" she said while directing an insult towards the agents.

Raven did not take kindly to her words. "Careful whom you insult, assassin" he warned the Irishwoman.

"Be quiet, fools! There is activity happening before the HQ!" Yoshimitsu hushed his teammates as he began sneaking up to the edge of the rooftop. He wanted to get a clear view of what was happening on the street.

Accompanied by Nina and the agents, Yoshimitsu observed a limousine being parked right up at the HQ's entrance. Several security guards were standing near it. Apparently, they were waiting for someone to get into the vehicle.

"There's no one inside the limo except the driver. But what is it waiting for?" Raven wondered as he used his sunglasses to scan through the limo itself.

"Isn't that obvious? That limo is here to pick up Heihachi. Who else could it be waiting for?" Nina answered him, yet Raven was not paying any attention to her at all.

Master Raven leaned closer to get a better look of the situation. "It's too early to be sure. But for now, let's stand up here and watch the road. Sooner or later, Heihachi will come out of hiding" she informed her teammates.

As the group of four stood by the edge and observed the scene, they were surprised to see that Heihachi was not the one to come out. Rather, it was a young woman holding a tablet computer. Judging by her outfit, she was one of the Zaibatsu's many secretaries.

"I do not recognize that woman. She most certainly is not Heihachi" Yoshimitsu remarked.

However, Nina seemed to have a clue about who that woman was. "Well, what do you know. It's my former colleague Tamaki" the assassin said out of sarcasm.

"You know her?" Raven questioned Nina.

"Why, of course. She was one of the many secretaries to work under Jin when he controlled the Zaibatsu. But ever since he disappeared, it seems to me that she now works under Heihachi. Not that I'm surprised to say at least" Nina explained to Raven and the others of who Tamaki was and how she knew her.

Tamaki was seen having a quick talk with one of the security guards before entering the limo. Several security guards were seen accompanying her into the vehicle. Without delay, the limo left the Zaibatsu's HQ, much to the surprise of the group spying on it.

"This looks suspicious. Why did the limo drive off? I was under the impression that it was waiting for Heihachi to get inside" Yoshimitsu couldn't fathom what he had seen. The swordsman then kept looking at the vehicle that was leaving the area. "Something does not feel right with this" he added.

"Indeed. Even so, there may be a chance that Heihachi is still inside the HQ. But we never know until we have seen it for ourselves" Master Raven spoke in agreement of Yoshimitsu while expressing her own opinions.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go and meet the boss himself. I bet he will be more than happy to have visit" Nina suggested as she rose up to her feet.

Reaching for her grapple gun, the Irishwoman was prepared to fire it upon the nearby building. But something caught her attention before she could pull the trigger. A red dot could be seen on her chest, and Nina knew perfectly what that meant.

"GET DOWN!" Raven pulled her down before the sound of a sniper rifle could be heard.

With his, Nina narrowly dodged a bullet. She scowled as she tried her best to stay low. The bullet came from below as there was a Tekken Force soldier standing there holding a sniper rifle. This soldier was different from ordinary ones, given that his outfit was exclusively black. It was the one called Crow. Calling nearby security guards and soldiers to his attention, he pointed his finger up at the rooftops.

"Intruders sighted! Open fire!" one of the soldiers called out before firing his assault rifle.

"They have spotted us! We must get out quickly!" Yoshimitsu told his teammates as they all disappeared quickly from the rooftop's edge and proceeded to run jump to the next building.

As they ran for their lives, Nina felt angered with what Raven had done. "Just so you know, I didn't need your rescuing! I knew what to do!" she reprimanded him.

"Rescuing!? Don't get the wrong idea!" Raven hit back at her while continuing running. "The only reason I pulled you down was because of you exposing our presence to our enemies! You made them catch wind of our plan!" the man with the sunglasses added.

"What!? I don't buy that sorry excuse!" Nina was not backing down from this fight.

"That's enough! We don't have time to argue!" Master Raven berated both her subordinate and Nina. "Our infiltration mission has been compromised! We must go back into hiding! These rooftops will help us navigate through the…" the black-skinned woman stopped speaking when she and the rest of the group could the sound of a helicopter.

Right above the group, a Mishima Zaibatsu attack helicopter was hovering above their current location. It was armed with turret guns, as well as several missiles. Clearly this helicopter had come from the HQ's helipad.

"A Mishima Zaibatsu chopper!" Raven exclaimed, feeling a little bit distressed as he saw the vehicle.

"It has been sent to dispose of us! That means we cannot rely on the rooftops to make our escape! We must get back to the street this instant!" Yoshimitsu cried, urging his teammates to follow him off the rooftop.

Without warning, two missiles were fired towards the fleeing group of four. It only encouraged them to get off the rooftop, let alone the building, as quickly as possible.

"JUMP FOR IT!" Master Raven cried and the entire group dived off the edge and down towards the alleyway.

Behind them came a powerful explosion as a result of the missiles hitting the rooftop. Fires and smoke covered the building. As for Yoshimitsu, Nina and the two agents, they had landed on a pile of garbage. Disgusting as it may was, the pile guaranteed the group a safe landing. They quickly got up, as they were still on the run from the Tekken Force even on street-level. But above them, the attack helicopter was still onto them.

"That was close! We almost got ourselves vaporized just now!" Nina noted, still running in her wedding dress and heels. "But know that the chase will continue here in the streets" the assassin then pointed out.

"She is correct! And as long as that helicopter keeps floating above us, the Tekken Force will know of our whereabouts! We must find a way to get rid of it!" Yoshimitsu agreed with Nina's assessment.

Master Raven was running first in the crowd, looking at each direction they stumbled across to make sure that no enemy was in sight. But a part of her seemed quite irritated with the fact they were lost in these alleyways. As they kept making a run for it, she tapped on one of her many devices.

"There! I've activated the car on autopilot mode. It should arrive to our location soon!" Master Raven informed the others.

"How long will that take!?" Raven felt like he needed more answers from his superior.

"Shut your trap and stay focused, Raven!" she berated him before drawing out her sword. "Until it reaches us, we will have to hold on against whatever our enemies will throw at us!" Master Raven then encouraged everyone to stand their ground and fight.

Nina scoffed at her words. "Whatever you say" she said with zero enthusiasm.

Master Raven's assumption turned out to be correct. Their only forward in the alleyway was blocked by a Tekken Force APC. Before this blockade came a squadron of Tekken Force soldiers. But from the other way, another squadron of Tekken Force appeared. It was not blocked by an APC, yet enemy soldiers stood in the group's way.

"We have them trapped! Seize the interlopers, dead or alive!" one of the Tekken Force captains called out while using commands with the help of sign language.

Yoshimitsu brandished his sword. "Come at us, Mishima-grunts! I do not fear your forces of tyranny!" he exclaimed, refusing to let himself be intimidated by the Tekken Force. "If it is one thing I will not accept, it is receiving death by your hands!" the swordsman exclaimed and used his Manji ninjutsu to attack some of the soldiers.

Nina held on her own with the help of her assassination skills. However, she had also pulled out her handgun and shot at every soldier that dared open fire against her.

"Tch, I never thought I would have to get my hands dirty by fighting the Tekken Force once again" Nina muttered while avoiding every bullet.

Both Master Raven and Raven were using their skills in ninjutsu as a means of holding off against their enemies. As they battled, Master Raven couldn't help but to take notice of how well her subordinate was fighting. She watched as Raven used his daggers to slice not just soldiers, but their weapons as well.

"Solid work, Raven!" Master Raven praised him before using a technique to vanish from the spot. The reason why she had done that was because of a soldier that had been sneaking up on her with a knife. Appearing in the air behind the confused soldier, Master Raven landed upon him, forcing him onto the asphalt. "If you continue honing your skills, you might reach up to my level" she then revealed with encouraging words.

Raven, despite being focused on fighting off enemies, had to smirk in hearing his superior's praise. "Hmm…you don't say" he noted before elbowing a soldier that was charging him from behind.

One by one, Tekken Force soldiers were knocked out. Still, more of them kept pouring into the alleyway. They were confident that their numbers could overwhelm the group of four. As the fight took a more serious turn, the enemy soldiers couldn't help but to notice a car driving into the crowd. It was completely unexpected. It was a black Porsche Cayenne GTS.

"ENEMY VEHICHLE! TAKE COVER!" one of the captains told his subordinates.

But he was too late. The captain and his subordinates were sent flying as a result of the Porsche driving in a fast speed. It didn't take long before the vehicle stopped near the group of four.

Master Raven smiled. "About time. I knew I made the right choice in picking a vehicle with autopilot" she mused as the car's doors opened. The agent looked over her shoulder. "This is our escape vehicle! All of you get in!" she said as she entered.

Nina and Yoshimitsu were somewhat skeptical, yet they felt like they had no choice. It was much preferable to being stuck with hordes of Tekken Force members. Without protesting, the two entered the Porsche in the passenger seats.

Realizing that everyone was inside, Master Raven pulled the gas. The car sped up and drove through the alleyway like a bullet. The Tekken Force fired their weapons, yet it was not enough to damage the Porsche. In addition to that, every enemy was swatted away by the speeding car.

Master Raven held onto the steering wheel, making sure that she and her compatriots were out of the alleyway and back on the streets. But not even the streets were safe. Enemy soldiers were standing the sidewalks while Tekken Force APCs and tanks were patrolling the roads. Those things only brought more headaches to Master Raven. She tried her best to drive past every hindrance.

"Damn! These streets are crawling with reinforcements!" Raven expressed his dismay while ducking for cover. He was holding onto a handgun. "Any idea where we can hide!?" he then asked his superior.

"We will figure that out once we've driven out of this neighborhood. Then again, it may be best if we leave Tokyo, altogether" Master Raven responded.

Nina was overhearing the agents' talk while she was aiming her sniper rifle at any enemy vehicles. Having listened to the agents, she decided to give them some input and advice.

"If I can come up with a suggestion, I think I know just the right place we can use as a hideout. It has a garage and everything" Nina spoke up before ducking for cover.

Raven was not so trustworthy towards the assassin. "And what makes you think that we will go along with your suggestion?" he questioned her sternly.

Nina dismissed it with a shrug. "If you don't wanna listen, then be my guest!" she hit back.

Master Raven had overheard what Nina had said, and the agent couldn't help but to wonder whether there were some merits in the assassin's words. As much as she couldn't trust Nina, Master Raven was willing to make some compromises.

"Very well, Nina Williams. Tell me where this hideout is!" Master Raven firmly commanded, still holding onto the steering wheel of the car. She wasn't given any answer. "Well! Are you gonna tell me that or not?" Master Raven demanded an explanation.

While surprised at first, Nina curved her lips into a smirk. She realized that Master Raven had slowly started to gain a little confidence in her. And given the situation they were in, they would have to work together to ensure their survival, even if relations between them were less than pleasant.

"Fine. I will fill you in. But only because of our current situation" the blonde Irishwoman said in return. "Now as for the hideout, it's at an apartment in Shimokitazawa. Given how that place is usually crowded and narrowed, the Tekken Force will not bother sending their vehicles there" she added with an explanation to the whereabouts of her hideout.

"Thank you for the description. I've already added what you said to the GPS. We'll head to that hideout and stay there to get enemy off our trails!" Master Raven informed and sped up.

Raven wanted to open his mouth to protest, yet he was more focused on ducking for cover in order to avoid getting hit by bullets. Then again, he also couldn't help but to feel tempted of the idea. Raven thus supported his superior's suggestion.

Meanwhile, Yoshimitsu had difficulties in understanding how Master Raven and Nina were quickly growing to trust each other so quickly. But he knew that this trust between them was not built on respect, but on the desire to survive against their common foe.

"It appears that we will have to delay the strike upon Heihachi for the time being. That being said, we may want to find out where that madman truly is. Apparently, he has gone into hiding someplace else. But where?" Yoshimistu noted, having discovered the possibility of Heihachi being somewhere outside the Zaibatsu's HQ, or Tokyo for that matter.

But as the group of four was trying to flee the scene, the majority of the Tekken Force soldiers were not bothering chasing the Porsche. They remained in the narrow alleyways as if their targets were still there. And above them, the attack helicopter was still hovering above the soldiers.

The one piloting the helicopter was now engaging in a conversation with his higher-ups. "Sir, the interlopers are gone. We chased them off the property as you commanded" the pilot informed his superior.

" _Good work_ " the voice belonged to Heihachi himself. He commended the pilot and the rest of the squadron for what they had done. " _Now what of Tamaki? Is everything going to the plan?_ " the Mishima Patriarch now asked about his _secretary._

"Yessir! She's on route to the G Corporation Exhibition as you requested. But with all due respect, isn't it dangerous to send her to a place like that?" the pilot wanted to know more about Heihachi's ideas.

" _Tamaki is a smart woman. That you cannot deny. However, it is not her that will enter this exhibition. She will remain seated in the limousine_ " Heihachi informed the soldier about his plans. " _Unbeknownst to those G Corporation-fools, the security guards that have been employed there are working for us undercover. They will be in charge of getting that person of interest to Tamaki. Then, he will be taken to me. I would really like to have a few words with him_ " the CEO of the Zaibatsu continued.

Knowing better than to question his superior, the pilot agreed with Heihachi's plan. "Understood. I follow your orders" he responded before switching off the communication device.

* * *

 _Inside the G Corporation Exhibition, Tokyo, Japan_

Lei Wulong was in high spirits as he walked among the crowds of visitors at the G Corporation Exhibition in Japan. Having showed up in hopes of meeting one of his favorite artists, luck smiled upon him when Lei was called forth to Lucky Chloe's autograph booth at her request. Apparently, Chloe was aware of Lei's profession and was interested in meeting him. She had given him her autograph, much to the police officer's utter joy.

However, there were ulterior motives for Chloe to do this to Lei. Her superiors in the G Corp had taken notice of Lei cooperating with the United Nations to investigate the history of the Mishima clan's "curse". Kazuya himself took this very personally. Therefore, he decided to wiretap Lei so that he could find out more about his plans. In order for Chloe to put the wire on Lei, she had invited him to do a hug pic with him. It was during that time when she placed the device upon the distracted police officer.

With that taken care of, Lei had walked away with good hopes. He was now looking forward to Lucky Chloe's live performance in the exhibition. But on another note, he felt a little let down by not being able to show her some of his dance moves. But that didn't matter much.

"Come on, it's no big deal! Chloe was pretty much busy with her fans. But hey, I may have a chance of getting to see her once her live performance is over" Lei mused to himself. He started to gleefully stare at Chloe's signature in his autograph book. It made him feel good on the inside. "I just can't believe this, man! My very own name, written by Lucky Chloe's handwriting! There's nothing more I could ask for!" the excitement in the Chinese man's face was unbreakable.

As Lei kept walking towards the direction of the place the performance would take place, he was caught off guard by two security guards standing in his way. He almost dropped his autograph book, yet managed to grab it with his quick reflexes. The police officer looked at the security guards. From what he could tell, they didn't look pleased, not to mention how bulky and muscular they were. Both men wore sunglasses and listening devices into their ears.

"Oh, hi there, gentlemen. Is there something on your mind?" Lei tried to be polite as he could.

"Lei Wulong. You better come with us this instant. Someone wants to see you" the first security guard spoke up.

"Okaaaaay" Lei uttered confused. "But who is this "someone"? I'm starting to feel puzzled" he then questioned them.

"That's not in your place to know. All that we can tell you is that this person has demanded to speak with you in private about certain private matters. And he wants to do so alone with you" the second security guard answered plainly.

While he was suspicious, Lei couldn't help but to wonder whether he thought these people weren't what they seemed to be. "Wait a second…you guys don't work for the G Corp, do you?" he expressed his doubts about the two men's' allegiances.

"As my colleague just stated, it's not in your place to know. Now come with us, if you want to know some answers" the first security guards spoke up before approaching Lei and forcefully grab him by his elbow.

"Hey! What's the big idea!?" Lei was outraged, only to have his other elbow grabbed by the second security guard.

With enough force, the two muscular men drew Lei with them to a nearby emergency exit. Lei had plans on breaking loose from the security guards, only to stop when he realized he was taken to an alleyway outside the building. And right before him stood a limousine waiting. The police officer couldn't believe his eyes. He stood and watched the vehicle completely stunned.

The first security guard opened the backdoor of the limo for him. "Here. You may enter" he told the Chinese man.

Lei was about to protest, only to be pushed into the vehicle from behind by the second security guard. With the help of his partner, Lei was placed on a seat. The door was shut and the limousine sped off without warning.

But things were not looking good for Lei. Gulping, he found himself surrounded by other angry-looking security guards. From what Lei could tell, none of them were taking a liking to him. However, Lei soon noticed the young petite woman sitting across him. She was holding onto a tablet computer. Her presence in the limo was a stark exception, given the threatening appearances of the security guards.

The woman adjusted her glasses. "I apologize for any inconveniences, Mr. Lei Wulong. But desperate times sometimes calls for desperate measures" she first spoke by apologizing to Lei.

Still, the police officer didn't buy it, nor did he take it seriously. "Now you listen here, miss. I don't know who you are or what you want, but your gorillas should know better than to treat a cop such as me with this level of disrespect!" Lei hit back, feeling very agitated. "But enough about me! Who the heck are you!?" he demanded some answers out of her.

The woman responded by pulling out her ID-card for Lei to see. "You may call me Tamaki. I'm one of the many secretaries of the Mishima Zaibatsu. But until recently, Heihachi Mishima himself has placed me in charge of being his personal secretary" she identified herself. Tamaki then put her ID-card away. "I was tasked by Heihachi to pick you up, personally. He wants to have a meeting with you" Tamaki revealed her intentions for picking up Lei.

Lei stared at her dumbfounded. Yet his expression soon turned into that of outrage. "Hold on! Since when did old goat wanna talk with me!? As far as I know, I was denied doing interviews with him by you guys! So how can you suddenly have this change of heart!?" he wanted some answers out of the secretary.

Tamaki remained calm. "What happened at HQ's entrance was a slight misunderstanding on our part. Our men were unaware of the boss' desire to speak with you personally. But on their behalf, I will apologize to you" the secretary replied.

"Another apology? Ugh, give me a freaking break!" Lei exclaimed, only to come back to his senses once he saw the many dirty glances coming from the security guards. "Alright, alright, I accept her apology. Quit giving me those glances! They give me the creeps!" he reassured them.

"You have to be kidding me. This immature buffoon is an agent of Interpol? They must be short on decent cops if they employ men like him" Tamaki noted as she observed Lei's persona.

As soon as he had calmed himself, Lei returned his focus on Tamaki. "Okay. So your boss now wants to talk with me? Good. Then just take me back to your HQ and I'll do my interview" he told her in a laidback manner.

The secretary remained stern in her expression. "Negative. That is out of the question" she responded quickly.

Lei raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?" he quizzed her.

"Heihachi wants to speak with you, but on a different location. He demands that you meet with him at a Mishima estate outside Tokyo. As we speak, he is already there" Tamaki revealed the location of this meeting.

Lei's eyes widened. "What? But why? And where is that estate you speak of?" the Chinese man asked.

"At ease, detective. This is not a kidnapping. You will be treated respectfully as long you don't misbehave. Now as for the place, the Mishima estate is located somewhere in the countryside of Gunma. Heihachi has chosen this remote location because he wishes to have some peace and quiet from all the mess in the city" Tamaki reassured Lei, thus easing his fears. "That being said, my superior has told me that he is willing to give you every little detail he knows. And that also includes the answers you have been looking for" she informed him,

As Lei heard that, he couldn't help but to wonder whether this situation was a good or bad. Deep down inside, he was relieved that Heihachi was finally willing to help him uncover the truth about the Mishima clan and its curse. But on another note, Lei was still not willing to put his trust in Heihachi. He knew the kind of man the Mishima Patriarch was. Power-hungry, conniving and deceitful. Still, Lei was willing to do this, for the sake of the world.

"This better be good. Otherwise, Master Raven's gonna come after my ass once she finds that I screwed up again" the police officer thought, only to snap once he remembered something. The silver necklace that Lars gave him. He remembered that as long as Lei wore it on, those at Violet Systems could track his movements. "Heh, heh. Things may not seem bad. All that I gotta do is play along with these bozos. Maybe then Lars and the others will know where to find me" he added.

As much as Lei kept pondering his plans of escaping, he still hadn't forgotten about his upcoming interview with Heihachi. He didn't trust the old man, but would get some answers out of him regardless.

* * *

 _Inside Lee's office, Violet System's HQ_

When news broke out that Wang Jinrei had arrived at Violet System's HQ, Lee and Lars had quickly exited the spa. They had warmly received him at the lobby. Both men were also introduced to Bo "Rodeo" Montana, who felt more than obliged to side with them against the Zaibatsu and the G Corp. But at the same time, Lee and Lars were surprised to see Miguel accompanying them. He had previously stated that he wanted nothing to do with Yggdrasil nor their cause. But given the predicament he found himself in, Miguel would stay with them for the time being. Lars and Lee respected his wishes, given that the Spaniard had chosen to spare Jin instead of killing him.

Knowing that Wang had something he wished to share, Lee had invited both him and Rodeo to his office. The elderly man was treated to some good old-fashioned Chinese tea. Yes, Lee wanted first to accommodate Wang, as well as relive the good times.

"I'm just so relieved that you made it here safely, revered master. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to meet you again" Lee expressed his relief in seeing Wang.

The elderly man took a drink from his cup before facing Lee. "The pleasure is all mine, young Lee. Sadly, I still have difficulties recalling the last time you and I spoke. It was so long ago" Wang remarked before turning his attention to Lars. "But I do recall the last time you and I met, Lars Alexandersson" he told the Swedish man.

Lars nodded his head in a friendly gesture. "The honor is mine, Wang Jinrei" he replied.

"Goodness, to think that you are a Mishima. I knew there was something about you when we first met. But never would I have imagined that Heihachi fathered you" the elderly man then remarked in what he had learned about Lars.

"I know. It's a complicated story. But I personally prefer not to dwell on that fact. There are bigger concerns that I must concentrate on. This world need heroes that will end this" Lars responded kindly.

Wang weakly nodded his head as a yes. "Well said, youngster. Your cause is a noble one. I am pleased to know that Jinpachi's wisdom has been passed onto you" he remarked while recalling how similar Lars was to his best friend.

"I'm humbled, although I must confess that I never knew my grandfather. But from what I gather, Jinpachi was a great man. It's good to know that not all Mishimas had darkness in their hearts" Lars remarked, recalling to how he had learned about his Mishima heritage.

Wang drank from his cup, still listening to the words Lars told him. In fact, they had only reminded him about changing the subject. Putting down his empty cup, the elderly man made sure both Lee and Lars were following him.

"Listen very carefully, young ones. The very reason I came here to Japan was more than to just enter the tournament. I came here to find allies like you. We all know that this ongoing war between Heihachi and Kazuya must be stopped. And there are many reasons for why we must put an end to it. Among them is to prevent the darkness that lurks in the shadows of taking advantage of the misery this war has caused" Wang told them one of the many reasons he had come to Japan.

"A darkness that lurks in the shadows? But Azazel was defeated during the previous tournament. And for all we know, Kazuya is the only twisted individual that brings darkness upon this world" Lee expressed his confusion about this subject.

"It has nothing to do with the Mishimas" the voice came from Rodeo. The American soldier seemed more than willing to share what he had seen. "He's right. There is someone who's taking advantage of the misery this war has brought upon the world. An underground sect of cultists calling themselves the Acolytes of Pluton is on the move. Their demented leader will stop at nothing to see his goals come to fruition" Rodeo went on explaining to the pair about their enemies.

"The Acolytes of Pluton…..I've never heard of this order before. Who are they? Or perhaps more importantly, who is their leader?" Lars asked Rodeo.

As uncomfortable as Rodeo was, he realized that these people deserved to know more about his hated enemies. "Even though I've been pursuing their leader for several years, I still haven't figured out the motives these cultists have. But their leader: Revenant…is unhuman…" the soldier still had nightmares about the mysterious leader of the cultists.

Lee and Lars could tell how uncomfortable Rodeo was in telling them about this Revenant.

"Oh dear, this doesn't sound good" Lee remarked in what he was hearing. "Sadly, neither me nor Lars know anything about this Revenant you speak of…..wait…..I think I remember" the silver-haired man started recalling something he had witnessed.

Lars seemed to experience the same thing. "Of course. That hooded individual who fought against Kazuya at the top of the Millennium Tower. The one who carried so much dark energy….he was also struck down by Heihachi's satellite laser…but he's still alive" the Swedish man began puzzling the pieces together.

Wang weakly nodded his head in agreement. "Indeed. Whoever that man is, he seems to have an unusual interest in the Mishima family. Even I have hardships in figuring out his connection with them" the Chinese man remarked, only for something to hit in his mind. "Speaking of which, where has Lei Wulong run off to? I was under the impression that he had allied himself with you two" Wang then questioned, realizing that he had yet to see Lei.

"He's unfortunately not here with us at the moment. He along with two agents from the UN took off to Tokyo, in hopes of getting some words out of Heihachi. The detective was very determined to get answers about the Mishima family's curse from the old man himself" Lee answered the respected martial artist.

"I see. What a pity. I was planning on giving him this" Wang revealed as he reached for something in his right long sleeve. In his wrinkled hand, he held an old book. "This was the diary once owned by Jinpachi. I managed to get hold of it at some point after he had died. Until recently, I never had the courage to read the writings of my best friend. Once I did read them, I learned about a tragic event about the Mishima clan I never knew took place beneath my eyes" Wang went on explaining to those around him what he was carrying.

Lars was starting to get curious with what he saw Wang hold. "A diary…...but are you certain that it was my grandfather's?" he wanted to make sure if that thing really belonged to Jinpachi.

"I recognize his handwriting everywhere. And not just that…there are also his words. That is why there is no question that this diary was Jinpachi's" Wang murmured, taking a deep sigh before continuing speaking. "Then again, each and everyone of you have been deceived to think the Mishima clan is cursed" he then revealed, thus surprising those around him.

"What do you mean by that?" Lee wondered.

The expression on Wang's elderly face seemed very troubled. He remembered the mysterious encounters he had been in recently. They were weighing heavily upon his mind.

"While the warrior culture and hunger for power has always been in the nature of the Mishimas, the same cannot be said for this curse of the Devil. No, contrary to popular belief and speculations, it is not the Mishimas who are the demons" Wang began speaking while having his eyes closed to reflect on what he had learned. But he soon opened his weary eyes. "The roots of this demonic curse…..begins with none other than Heihachi's former wife, as well as Kazuya's mother….Kazumi Hachihjo" he then revealed the details he had learned, much to the shock of those around him.

* * *

 _At a Mishima estate, in the countryside of Gunma, Japan_

As the sun went down, the evening was coming to Japanese countryside in Gunma. However, there were signs of activity on the many farms across the fields. The only building that stood as a contrast to these farms was a Japanese mansion lying isolated from their location. There were lights in the mansion, not to mention Tekken Force soldiers patrolling inside and around the mansion.

This was an estate owned by the Mishima clan. Given how the Mishimas was one of the most powerful clans during their ages, they owned plenty of mansions and properties across Japan. And it was the perfect location for Heihachi to have this secret meeting with Lei Wulong.

When the limo had arrived outside, the police officer was speechless with what place he had arrived at. Never would he have imagined setting foot in one of the imposing mansions owned by the Mishima clan. But Lei knew better than to not be on his guard. Right now, he was entering the demon's den. Anything could happen to him inside that mansion.

As he entered the property, Lei looked around to see how tightly secured this place was. "Great…now I'm definitely in deep trouble…how the hell am I gonna make an escape from this place?" Lei wondered as he was accompanied by Tamaki and several other security guards.

Lei was escorted to the what appeared to be the main building of this mansion. Several soldiers of the Tekken Force stood their guard, but they were supervised by none other than Kuma himself. The bear was still wearing his Tekken Force gear. Lei had to hold his breath to not laugh at Kuma.

"Man, Lee and Lars weren't kidding when they told me that Kuma had been inducted into the Tekken Force. What kind of brain does Heihachi even have?" Lei mused to himself.

But the Chinese man kept his cool once Kuma ordered two of his subordinates to open the door to the building. They did so without objections. Still, Lei did not enter, as he was feeling very unsure about doing this interview with the Mishima Patriarch.

"What are you waiting for?" the stern voice of Tamaki interrupted his thinking. "Go inside. Heihachi Mishima is waiting for you. I advise you not to keep him waiting" she then told him.

Grumbling silently, Lei entered the building. The minute he was inside, the doors behind him closed. Lei knew that he needed to tread carefully. Without hesitating, the Chinese men took his step to the nearest hall. He was under the impression that he would have this interview in a specific room in the mansion. To the police officer's surprise, that wasn't the case.

When he entered the hall, Heihachi Mishima was there waiting for him. He sat on a stool, with a samurai armor hanging behind him in the hall. The hall itself was quite special. It seemed to have no windows, as there was a balcony where one could use to get some fresh air. But those were not on Lei's mind, right now. He could see Heihachi stare at him, his eyes piercing through like arrows. Still, Lei continued taking small steps forward.

"Come forward" those were the first words Heihachi uttered out towards Lei.

Lei, who realized that here were no seats reserved for him, sat on his knees before Heihachi. His wary eyes glanced at the Mishima Patriarch. At this rate, Lei had no idea why Heihachi had suddenly agreed to meet with him. And given how close in proximity he was to Heihachi, Lei was filled with unshakable fear.

"I know who you are, as well as your profession. Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police, and an agent for Interpol. Your reputation as a former contestant of the King of the Iron Fist Tournaments does impress me" Heihachi began speaking by revealing what he knew about Lei. "However, that is not the reason why I have summoned you here. It is to my understanding that Interpol has been snooping around to gain information about my clan. And I also assume that you want to reveal the Mishimas' secrets to the world, correct?" he then explained what he knew about Lei's mission.

The Chinese man's eyes widened when he heard that. Still, he realized that such was to be expected, given the kind of man Heihachi was. Nodding his head weakly, Lei responded.

"You're correct, sir" Lei replied, not mincing words.

Heihachi smirked while crossing his arms. "Then you must be in possession of a considerable amount of information. Tell me, Super Cop. What have you done so far?" he then wanted to know what specific information the detective had been searching for.

The police officer began recalling to all the research he had done leading up to this extraordinary meeting with Heihachi. From digging up files about the Mishima clan's history to his enigmatic conversation with the old man named Moto.

"I have delved deep into the history of the Mishimas from your late father Jinpachi Mishima to the family's connection to this particular woman: Kazumi Hachijo" Lei answered, only to see something change within the Mishima Patriarch. It was his former smug expression. No longer was that to be seen. Still, Lei continued to press on. "The year you declared yourself leader of the Mishima Zaibatsu was the same year your wife Kazumi passed away and that your son sustained terrible injuries from falling off a cliff. To me, that sounds like one hell of a coincidence, don't you think, Heihachi Mishima?" he added while expressing his own personal opinions.

Despite hearing all this, Heihachi remained confident in face of being pressed on about these subjects. "Hmm. It looks like you are not just any ordinary detective. Just what kind of man, are you?" the old man questioned Lei.

This made Lei feeling quite agitated. "This is not about me! And I'm not doing this case because I'm a fan of you Mishimas! No, this is all for the sake of finding an end to this war your family has caused! You may not have realized it, but thousands of innocents have perished as a result of this war. But to put an end to it, I must understand what sort of feud you and your son have. And since you are the current Mishima Patriarch, I figured out you would have something to share. Perhaps THE Heihachi Mishima could have done something to prove he has decency!" the police officer hissed, feeling very passionate.

"Decency? Heh, you don't even know what that word means" Heihachi said, brushing off Lei's rant as if it was nothing. "Fine. I will help you find the answers you're looking for. Everything that I am about to tell you now, I want to tell the world. If you promise to do that, I will give you all the details you desire" he suddenly felt ready to tell the truth.

Lei was stunned in Heihachi's desire. Did he really mean it? Heihachi wanted the entire world to know about the history of this "curse" among the Mishimas? Nevertheless, Lei reached for his notepad and readied himself.

"Fair enough. If this is what it takes to bring an end to this war…so be it" Lei agreed to his request, albeit reluctantly.

Heihachi sat up straight, his eyes starting to feel slightly teary as he was about to share with Lei the information he had. "Then just sit there and listen carefully, detective. I will tell you a story about friendship…love….and betrayal" the Mishima Patriarch spoke, his voice getting softer at the end of his sentence.

Lei wondered why Heihachi was like that, but paid no heed and started writing down everything the man he openly disliked told him.

 _To be continued…_


	37. The Truth

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 37: The Truth**

 _At the Mishima Dojo, Japan, Heihachi's POV_

All of you people claim that the blood of Mishimas are cursed. Sadly, that is where you are wrong. The Mishimas were never cursed to begin with. But I will agree to the fact that the clan itself was warriors since the earliest years of Japan. Throughout history, a feud was always formed between father and son. And on most occasions, these feuds only led to the sons killing their fathers. Such practices were common during the Sengoku era.

Luckily, I know where the origins of this so-called "Devil's curse" came from. Some of you may have figured it out already. But it does not matter. The truth is that this "demonic bloodline" that outsiders keep calling it all began with my deceased wife: Kazumi Mishima.

Kazumi Mishima, or Hachijo as she was known before our marriage, was a woman of many things. In some ways, you could say that she was a woman with many faces. Still, only I know for the person she was. So come and sit with me, youngsters. Listen as I tell you a story of friendship, love…and betrayal.

Even though I have grown very old, I still remember the day me and Kazumi first met. It's almost like yesterday. And I remember exactly what happened that day. It all began when she came to my father Jinpachi's dojo, when she and I were only children.

The Mishima Dojo was in my younger days one of the most well-established in Japan, if not in the entire Orient. Many brave young boys had fought tooth and nail to be admitted into the dojo. But they got more than they bargained for. Even though Jinpachi was relatively pacifistic and compassionate, he was no soft dojo head. Believe me, that old man put his students through harsh training. In other words, they went through hell. And one of those students was me, Heihachi Mishima.

In my childhood days, I was the Mishima Dojo's top student. But I was not that because of me being Jinpachi's son. I earned that title through intense training and by besting any students foolish enough to challenge my superiority. That is how I became the student everyone feared. And I took great pleasure in it! But all that changed one day, when my father announced that a new student would arrive at the dojo.

In one of the many hallways leading to the dojo's main hall, I had just managed to best one of my Jinpachi's "weak-minded" students. He just charged at me like some random fool, only for me to put his lights out by delivering an uppercut. Once he was on the floor sleeping, I secretly enjoyed watching him squeal for mercy!

"Please, Heihachi! I give up! I give up! Please don't hurt me! Mercy!" the sniveling coward pleaded as he stood and watched him scurry away.

"That all you got, Sadahiro!? I thought you actually had enough guts to not yield this time! Talk about a huge disappointment" I told the young boy while expressing my dismay with how he had the guts to beg for mercy. But the longer I heard him whimper, the more irritated I became. I wanted him gone. "Now, get out of my sight, you cretin! Watching you cowering like some idiot makes my blood boil!" I demanded, and Sadahiro ran off crying, just as he had done previous times we had dueled.

I was not laughing, but two of my fellow students did. Those were my childhood friends: Akinobu and Masahisa. We had known and trained with each other to be the closest friends as we could possibly get. They were each strong in their own way, yet still not enough to best me in combat.

"Well I must say Heihachi, you really showed Sadahiro a thing or two!" Akinobu expressed his amazement, still laughing in seeing my opponent scurry away.

"Absolutely! I still don't understand why that loser still wanna keep challenging you when he knows very well how weak he is!" Masahisa joined in on the laughing.

While I understood that my friends were laughing with me, hearing them do that only irritated me the fullest. The reason for that is simple. I despised each time some weakling would challenge me to a duel, only for him or her to forfeit.

Groaning, I left my two friends and continued moving through the hallway. But they soon caught up to me, like a pair of gossiping teen girls.

"Come on, Heihachi. Say something! I mean, aren't you proud of what you have accomplished?" Akinobu asked me.

I rolled my eyes in return. "What is there to say about, Akinobu? It ends the same way. Me besting some arrogant twit who thinks he can stand up to me. Do you two realize how embarrassing it is to get picked on by weak-minded students?" I then explained to them how I disliked getting into such fights.

"Well, that's painfully obvious. You're Heihachi Mishima! Son of his dojo's master: Jinpachi Mishima. And not only that, your dad is one of the most powerful men in Japan. Heck, I hear he's almost as powerful as the emperor and his government!" Masahisa began pointing out many characteristics about me.

This forced me to let out a deep sigh. "Oh, please. You know those rumors are greatly exaggerated" I reprimanded my friend, but I was not yet finished. "Besides, you both know my father. He's a pacifistic by nature, despite controlling the most influential zaibatsu in this country" I let my friends on the kind of man my father was.

However, none of them seemed to take my words for granted. "Pacifistic by nature? Then how do you explain all that harsh training he puts us through? He's not even soft on you" Masahisa then asked me.

"Yeah, your father can be very mean sometimes. But I wonder, is he different when it comes to you?" Akinobu then had to keep his mouth running.

This really made me stand still for a minute. I still to this day do not know why I did that. But to answer it short, Akinobu's words made me remind about the not so pleasant relationship me and Jinpachi shared. Indeed. Even though we were father and son, relations between us did not necessarily function as such. There are many reasons why, but one of them has to do with how my mother was not involved as much in my childhood days. Her death had not only changed me, but Jinpachi as well.

After much consideration of the words Akinobu had said to me, I decided to respond to him. But I did so by looking over his shoulder to glance at him sternly. That was more than enough to cause unease in my good friend.

"Keep your nose out of my family's affairs, Akinobu. You know nothing. So for your own safety, don't bring that question up to me, again!" I spat before taking my leave.

My words had left both of my friends stunned. Even so, I didn't give a damn about them. Family matters was in my opinion, strictly private. Outsiders such as Akinobu and Masahisa knew nothing about the Mishima clan, as well as who we were throughout history. Mishimas were warriors. Born to be warriors…and die as warriors. That was our way.

"W-wait up! Heihachi! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" Akinobu was trying to chase after me. Masahisa was not far behind.

I continued walking towards the entrance to the main hall, yet I did look over my shoulder to see my best friends running after me. Sighing, I decided to stop and accept whatever apology Akinobu was coming with.

"Fine! I accept your apology. Just promise me to keep your mouth shut next time!" I just wanted to ease Akinobu's uneasiness. He may have been a good friend, but he was not always the brightest type.

Once he heard my acceptance of his apology, Akinobu was beaming with relief. "Ah, thank you, Heihachi! You're the best!" he said, although I was not paying much attention to him.

Entering the dojo's main hall, I walked past all the other students training and testing their skills. When I walked towards a bunch of them, they all scurried off like cockroaches. They knew that I was not the type of boy to be trifled with. In fact, I had even beaten some of those fools before. That's why they feared and respected me the same time.

The same thing could be said for Akinobu and Masahisa. But their reputations were not as prestigious as mine was. Still, we were the toughest trio among the students. No one could deny our strength.

As soon as I had found my favorite spot in the hall, the giant doors leading to outside the dojo opened in a swish. All the students snapped in surprise. However, they knew what to do whenever those doors opened. Ceasing all kinds of activity, they formed lines of four one after the other. I myself stood in the first alongside my dear friends.

The reason why us students did that was simple. In the doorway stood a muscular man with a long, grey beard and hair. His beard was so absurdly long that it reminded us of a smile. Wearing a brown kimono, a golden necklace and sandals, this man was someone we all knew. He was the owner of the Mishima Dojo, as well as my father: Jinpachi Mishima. But he was way more than those. He was also the current Mishima Patriarch and the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu. As such, Jinpachi was one of the most powerful men in Japan.

Everything in the hall had no noise, until my father opened his mouth to speak.

"Good morning to you, my faithful pupils" Jinpachi began his usual greeting.

"GOOD MORNING, MISHIMA-SENSEI!" all the students said back.

Of course, I was the only one in the crowd who didn't respond. As young as I was at that time, it sometimes felt embarrassing to do things like that. I was not some young toddler!

Jinpachi entered the hall, surveying all of us as if we were soldiers waiting to be given orders. Bear in mind that my father was quite the perfectionist, always wanting to make sure that each of us stood up straight and that the lines were formed perfectly. In addition to that, he did not tolerate whispering amongst the students. As soon as he was done with this surveying, Jinpachi broke the silence when he opened his mouth.

"I am pleased to see how many of you are still as prepared and optimistic. Every day I enter this hall, I can see the determination and spark within each of you. As your sensei, I am most humbled" Jinpachi said, eventually starting pacing back and forth while continuing addressing us or whatever he called it. "There will come a time when you young ones will be facing your greatest battle in a lifetime. And that battle will define what you are as a fighter. But mark my words, the Mishima Style Fighting Karate is not being learned for the sake of conquest and power. Such ideals are wasted. Rather, you will learn it to protect those you care about" my father started babbling about his philosophy.

While I listened, I couldn't help but to scowl in hearing my father say such words. Personally, I thought Jinpachi's ideals seemed very…naive and presumptuous. After all, he had himself been in many wars, battled enemies of Japan in its wars. Someone like him had to know how wars was sometimes unavoidable. Peace was something that could never be achieved through mere treaties or negotiations. History had proven that theory right.

"Again, with the same wisdom? You need to broaden your point of view, old man" I thought as I listened to Jinpachi's words.

But without warning, Jinpachi stopped pacing, his eyes focused on us as if he was a hawk gazing at its prey. His muscular hands were resting behind the back of his kimono. It became apparent to us that there was something he wished to announce.

"With that being said, I have an important announcement to make today, young ones. Today, the Mishima Dojo will have a new pupil, and a special one as well" Jinpachi made the announcement.

I was completely unfazed with it, yet my fellow students were not. They all gasped as if this was completely unexpected. Still, this dojo had taken in plenty of new pupils before, yet none of them seemed capable enough to practice the Mishima Style Fighting Karate, let alone master it. Only I and a few lucky students had the privilege of such.

"The reason why I have called this student special is because of the fact that it is a girl. This is the first time a girl has been sent here to train in this dojo" Jinpachi then revealed, causing more gasps among the students.

This time, however, I too couldn't help but to feel surprised at what my father said. A girl training at the Mishima Dojo? To me, it was unbelievable to say at least. Not that I had anything against the opposite gender, given how Jinpachi had always reminded me about treating women with dignity and respect. But the very thought of a girl trying to master the Mishima Style Fighting Karate…...it sounded very farfetched. Ignoring the noise my fellow students made, I decided to actually listen to what Jinpachi was saying.

"As the head of the Mishima Dojo, I am more than happy to take in a girl to learn about combat. A woman's strength is equal to that of us men. Times have changed after all" Jinpachi suddenly spoke of his admiration of women.

Somehow, I couldn't help but to feel for my father when he said those words. After all, my mother had been quite the fighter herself. Maybe that's the reason why he married her, let alone made her the Matriarch of the Mishima clan.

"Now remember, you ruffians better treat this young lady with the same respect as you do here with one another. You see, she comes from a very prestigious family: the Hachijo clan. And more importantly, she happens to be well-versed in the Hachijo Style Karate. Therefore, it will appear that you will be having a lovely, but tough princess to contend with" the old man now tried to add more humor while explaining who that girl was.

I was confused. The Hachijo Style Karate? I had heard about the Hachijos, yet I never expected them to have their own form of Karate. From what I knew, they were nothing more than humble nobles from Kyoto. Still, I gave little thought about them, let alone the other clans. In my own young view, the Mishimas were superior in every way.

Jinpachi suddenly looked over his shoulder to the main doors, trying to call out to someone. "You may enter this hall, young lady" he said and two guards of the Mishima clan came in first. But they weren't alone, as there was someone else coming into the hall.

In the middle between the guards stood a young girl with black hair and a surprisingly stunning appearance. She wore a white sleeveless kimono, a black belt and sandals. Her black hair reached down to her shoulders. As I looked at this girl, I couldn't help but to notice in how beautiful she looked. It was like looking at a princess of the imperial family. But at the same time, she seemed awfully shy, given how she held her hands together. She stood a few feet away from my father, feeling somewhat awkward as she looked at us.

My father's smile widened beneath his grey beard. "Now then. Please introduce yourself, young lady" he told her with encouraging words.

Without delay, the young girl bowed her head towards us. We all stood and watched her doing this formal greeting with confused expressions. "It's a great pleasure to meet everyone of you! My n-name is Kazumi. Kazumi Hachijo" she introduced herself, still facing the floorboard instead of us. However, Kazumi lifted her head up, facing us with a gentle, yet nervous smile. "I'm r-really grateful to be given entry to this dojo. Hopefully, we can learn m-more about each other and become great f-friends" she then continued.

So far, I had only looked at this girl with little more than confusion. She seemed like pretty girl, yet also a dolt at the same time. I still didn't know what to make of her.

"Thank you for introducing yourself, Kazumi. I will explain the rest for now" Jinpachi said, earning him a quick bow from the girl. He faced us all. "Young Kazumi has been sent here as a token of appreciation of the Hachijo clan. Her family wishes to cement the friendly relationship they share with the Mishima clan. And given how honorable the Hachijos are, there is no way I could turn down their offer. Kazumi here already impressed me when she managed to defeat several of my guards. That is why I felt it was right to accept her into this dojo" the old man suddenly explained the reason why Kazumi had come here.

I didn't buy it. Given how my father always liked riches, he would often develop good relations with rich families in not just Japan, but in the entire Orient as well. That's one of the many things I despised with my father. Beneath his stern demeanor, he behaved like a greedy nobleman sometimes. That only dismayed me.

"Now then, Kazumi. Every time a new pupil enters this dojo, the others have been interested to see proof of that newcomer being worthy for entry. That is why I ask you this: would you mind demonstrate your prowess in a match for us?" Jinpachi questioned the little girl.

She immediately nodded in a formal bow at him once again. "Certainly, Mishima-sensei. It w-would be an honor" Kazumi responded, still struggling to get her words together.

My father smiled, eventually turning his attention towards us in the crowd. Clearly, he was looking for an opponent to test Kazumi's skills. He soon found one he felt was the right choice.

"Einosuke! Step forward, please" he called out one of the names of my fellow students.

Einosuke did that with a cocky shrug. I knew who he was as a person. Like Sadahiro, he was one of Jinpachi's "weak-minded" students. I had whopped his sorry behind plenty of times before. But unlike Sadahiro, who was whiny and babyish, Einosuke was arrogant and smug. Still, I felt that he at least had enough guts to best the new girl in this round.

Each of them stood in combat positions, just waiting for my father to say the word. In the meantime, Einosuke took the opportunity to mock Kazumi.

"You think you're worthy of training here? Please, girls like you are more fit to become an oiran instead!" Einosuke insulted Kazumi by downgrading her gender.

Even I was disgusted by that punk's choice of words. An oiran was a "woman of pleasures" or in other words a prostitute. They existed only to entertain greedy and perverted men. My father despised such women, something which only explained where I inherited this distaste for oiran from.

Yet despite hearing such demeaning words, Kazumi remained unfazed. She looked rather determined to fight Einosuke. "I'm not falling for it" she said, thus surprising not just Einosuke, but me and the other students as well. "Throw all the insults you want, I won't get provoked into attacking you out of anger" she then added, surprisingly displaying a mature attitude for someone her age.

In response, Einosuke scowled at Kazumi. Clearly, he didn't like the way she just spoke to her. That had only ignited the short fuse of his anger. Jinpachi, who could already see that they were ready for battle, gave them the word to start fighting.

"Begin" he commanded them.

Unsurprisingly, Einosuke charged towards Kazumi out of anger. It was obvious to me that her words had brought so much anger inside the arrogant fool's mind. Still, Kazumi stood still, as if she was preparing a defense against Einosuke's incoming attack.

"I WON'T GO EASY ON YOU JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE A GIRL! TASTE MY FIST!" Einosuke yelled, wanting to land a punch at Kazumi's face.

But as Einosuke was about to land his punch, Kazumi began her move. She first started by ducking, thus avoiding Einosuke's fist. But she was not yet finished. Delivering a powerful uppercut on his chin, Kazumi sent him flying in the air. As he was up in the air, the young girl then jumped and delivered a powerful kick upon Einosuke. The poor fool flew towards one of the pillars standing in the main hall. It must have been painful for him, as he was left unconscious. We all stood and watched as Kazumi was victorious.

My father clapped his hands in what he had witnessed. "Splendid effort, Kazumi! With Einosuke unable to continue fighting, I suppose victory belongs to you" Jinpachi expressed his admiration, still clapping his hands for her.

The silly girl kept bowing her head once again. "I'm humbled, Mishima-sensei" she responded to him.

Jinpachi then started looking for another student in the bunch to test Kazumi. "Very well. On to the next round. Ikki! Step forward!" he then called out the name of another student.

Ikki was…not as arrogant and cocky as Einosuke, but he still was a clueless dimwit. I secretly fumed in seeing how my father put unworthy opponents to stand against Kazumi. And not surprisingly, Kazumi won against Ikki. He was simply a brainless buffoon who never had the talent. Frankly, I still don't understand to this day in how my father could accept someone like him into the dojo.

But the next pick for an opponent for the new girl really caught me by surprise. "Masahisa! You are next!" my father demanded one of my childhood friends stepping forward.

Always eager to please Jinpachi, Masahisa did that without hesitation. This time, I was starting to wonder whether Kazumi would lose this round. After all, Masahisa was a capable fighter in his own right. While not as strong as me, he had taken down plenty of simpletons in the dojo before.

Masahisa stood his guard, ready to charge against Kazumi. "Alright! Allow me to show you how we do things at the Mishima Dojo!" he boasted, yet Kazumi seemed unfazed with it.

"Save your words. Speak with your fists" she told him.

In response, Masahisa only grinned, feeling more than tempted to impress my father in how he was one of his best students. When Jinpachi gave them the word, my good friend charged towards him. But surprisingly, Kazumi was able to dodge his every attempt to attack her. It only become more interesting when Kazumi landed a powerful punch straight into Masahisa's stomach. The punch was so powerful that it sent him flying into the wall. I stood and watched in slight shock in seeing one of the toughest students of the dojo sitting by the wall unconscious.

"No…..it cannot be….." I murmured as I looked at Masahisa sleeping with the fishes.

But my father did not express any surprise at all. Chuckling deeply, he clapped his hands for Kazumi as she lowered her head towards him in respect. "Well done, little girl! I knew I was right in letting you into the dojo. On behalf of us all in the Mishima Dojo, I hereby welcome you, Kazumi Hachijo!" he welcomed her.

To my surprise, many of my fellow students were also clapping their hands, Akinobu included! I was completely dumbstruck by this. Why had these nitwits decided to accept this outsider into our fold so quickly!? Not even I could understand it.

"Well now, we will resume this lesson shortly. Kazumi, you may go stand beside Heihachi over there" Jinpachi told her.

She took the place in which Masahisa had formerly stood at, between me and Akinobu. I tried my best not to make eye contact with her. Still, my friend had to open his mouth in order to praise her.

"Nice work out there, newcomer! You did well in the fight" Akinobu praised her.

Kazumi did nothing except nod at him in a polite manner. "Thank you for the compliment" she then thanked him.

Things were getting awkward as I stood beside the new girl who had managed to defeat my best friend in a match. But at the same time, I couldn't help but to wonder what would happen if me and her were to fight. Crossing my arms, I looked into another direction, only for Kazumi to open her mouth.

"You must be Heihachi Mishima, the sensei's son" Kazumi spoke to me, thus forcing me to eventually face look at her skeptically. "I hear that you're this dojo's top student, is that true?" she went on asking me.

Using my reflexes, I simply huffed at her while looking away. "That's none of your business" I responded brashly, not willing to spill out anything about my strength.

Kazumi seemed surprised by my attitude at first, yet she managed to brush it off as it was nothing. But she did continue speaking to me. "I can tell by your response that it's true. And not just that, you seem to be very anxious. Why is that? Is it because you're afraid of me winning against you?" her words only made my blood boil.

Feeling irritated, I directed my anger towards Kazumi. "Like I just said, stupid. It's none of your damn business. Now shut up and stop asking me dumb questions!" I hissed, only to feel a hard punch on my head. It came from my father. "Ouch! What's the big idea, old man!?" I snapped while rubbing the top of my head.

"Do not take that tone with me, boy! Remember what I have told you: treat young ladies with respect! I will not tolerate anymore shenanigans from you, Heihachi!" Jinpachi scolded me for what I had done.

As I was about to open my mouth to protest, Kazumi intervened. I stared at her, completley confused with what she was trying to do. "Don't worry, sensei. I have met plenty of rude gentlemen before. I think he's just nervous about my strength" she told him, making me angrier.

Jinpachi and my fellow students erupted into laughter in the hall. Listening to this only filled me with so much humiliation. And the fact that my father was doing this only made this worse.

"Well said, Kazumi! I would be delightful to see someone like you give my ungrateful son a lesson or two about respect. I cannot wait to see that day happen!" he laughed before returning to his place.

I glanced at Kazumi, the young girl smiling at me in a friendly manner. But to me, it was done so out of mockery. Cursing silently, I swore to make her pay for this humiliation.

From that day onward, my reputation as the Mishima Dojo's top student was challenged. I managed to find out why. Like me, Kazumi devoted her days to training, both inside and outside the dojo. In essence, she was my rival. That belief was only strengthened when I learned about Akinobu being defeated by Kazumi, as well as several other students who were as dedicated and serious as I was. I was enraged.

Then came the first time me and Kazumi had our first match inside the dojo. It ended with a tie for us both. All the other students had watched this duel with anticipation, wondering who would emerge as the Mishima Dojo's top student. As the years went by, we continued having matches that only resulted in ties. In hopes of settling the score once and for all, I challenged Kazumi to a fight in the Mishima Gardens. And of course, she answered.

It was during the evening. Me and Kazumi both met each other by the garden's pond. The moon was shining above us. Now that we were both teenagers, we were more than determined to end this rivalry between us once and for all.

However, something was off with Kazumi. There was something in her eyes in which I couldn't yet grasp. "Why? Why must be keep doing this, Heihachi? Are you really that concerned about obtaining your status as an undefeated champion?" Kazumi was sounding quite mature when asking me that.

But me, given how young and hotheaded I was during my teenage years, shot down her assumption. "It has nothing to do with that! And forget about making me your rival! I'm still the strongest there is!" I protested, standing in my fighting position. "I just don't get it! Why is it that my father favors you above m!?" I then started to bring out a certain subject that had really made me resent Kazumi.

Her eyes widened in astonishment. "What? I don't know what you're talking about! Mishima-sensei doesn't favor me above you! You're his son! He values you more!" Kazumi pointed out.

"Lies!" I snapped back at her. "That old bastard himself gives you credit for all the hard training you go through! But he never does the same with me!" my rage towards my father's favoritism of Kazumi became apparent.

"You're wrong! He gives you plenty of credit! You're his son, remember?" Kazumi tried to reason with me, but it was no use.

I stood in my fighting position, thinking about all the times my father had scorned me for my arrogance. No matter how hard I trained under his watch, I had never heard Jinpachi once utter "I am proud of you, my son". But was this only coincidence? I knew the history of the Mishima clan. Fathers and sons were always destined to fight one another to death. It had proven right. During the Sengoku era, Jingo Mishima had killed his father Hachiman Mishima. And later, his owns son Shinpachiro Mishima killed him. Perhaps it was time for me to share the same fate with my ancestors. But at that time, I refused to believe in such legends. I was only a teenager who craved recognition from an idiotic father. He giving it to the wrong student.

"I will finish this!" I said as I stood in my fighting stance. "Defeating you may get my father to respect me more than an outsider such as you!" my words sounded bitter.

Kazumi seemed ready to fight me. "Very well, you leave me no choice! But you asked for this!" she hit back before we charged towards one another.

And for two hours, we clashed. As strong as each of us were, it appeared that we were evenly matched. When I was brought down to my left knee, I panted and felt the slight pain of defeat. Kazumi was also exhausted, yet she seemed to be in a better condition than I was. All this only made my tears let out.

"Go ahead then" I broke the silence by speaking. "Best me in combat and take your place as the Mishima Dojo's top student. Make a mockery out of my family name! Reduce me to nothing but a pathetic son of the Mishima Patriarch!" I kept telling her to just end the match.

As he waited for her to deliver the final blow, I noticed how Kazumi was approaching down to the same level I was standing on. We faced each other. At this rate, was expecting Kazumi to say something rude to me before taking the win. But she didn't. For what reason, I couldn't understand.

"You're wrong. I never wanted to be the strongest in the class. Nor did I wish to take away your reputation" she spoke in a soft manner. "The truth of the matter is…I feel the same pain you do…..not being acknowledged" she then revealed to me.

I stared at her with my teary eyes. "What?" I sniffed, confused by Kazumi's sudden change of behavior.

"You heard me right. I too know the pain of not being loved and accepted in a family. Despite coming from a rich family such as the Hachijo clan, it's not as privileged as anyone would think" Kazumi began explaining what she was meaning. "My parents died when I was very young. Still, none in my family looked after me. In their eyes, I was nothing more than a burden upon the clan. And no matter how much I tried to impress them with my fighting, they still didn't accept me. And why do you think I was even sent to this dojo in the first place? Because they wouldn't risk sending one of their worthier members of the family. I was just some old book to be thrown away" she then said, feeling very emotional as she said those words.

This time, I was the one being surprised. Never had I imagined the kind of past Kazumi had experienced. After much consideration, I decided to ask more of her.

"But if so…why didn't you tell me?" I asked her, although it was an unwise desciscion of me.

The young girl faced me with an angry expression. "Because it's none of your business! My painful history is not to share with! That includes you and even Mishima-sensei. I keep it to myself and that's final!" she snapped, soon letting some tears down her cheeks. "I will admit this, though. Had I not been sent to train at this dojo, I would have probably ended up becoming an oiran. That's not the kind of life I would've wanted! I'm too good to be prostituting!" she cried as she sat down by the pond.

My tears had dried up, and I no longer felt sad. In fact, Kazumi was now the one feeling it. Gulping, I manned up and took my place beside her by the pond.

"Yeah, I hear you" were the only words I could come up with. She looked at me confused. "What? I mean, I know what oirans do for a living and all. Sounds like a messed-up life. For the women, I mean" I tried not to sound sexist.

To my surprise, Kazumi giggled. I didn't understand why, but I could only sit and watch how beautiful this girl looked in the moonlight. Something in my gut told me that a wonderful moment was about to happen. But I still couldn't grasp what.

"You're really cute for being such a hotheaded dimwit. I like that" she told me.

Without warning, my cheeks blushed. Why was I doing that? Clearly it had to do something with my own hormones. But I tried my best to keep it together. I would not let a girl best me.

"Oh really. Well, you're really sweet for being a…giggling…...showoff!" I mustered enough courage to respond to her taunt.

"A showoff?" Kazumi asked before laughing sweetly. "Look who's talking, you cocky jerk" she hit back before playfully pinching me.

This time, I had to laugh. I didn't know why, but it felt so right. For the first time in many years, I was feeling happy. But how ironic it was that I felt such with Kazumi instead of my father. Still, there was something else that developed between us.

While we were both sitting beside the pond, our eyes were staring into each other. It felt like some kind of trance. No matter how hard I tried, I could never let go of this sight. Watching Kazumi like this….was so breathtaking. I felt hypnotized.

Before I even knew it, my lips were close to hers. And in just a few seconds, our lips met. We kissed! In the gardens of the Mishima compound. None of us made an attempt to break loose. We only enjoyed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But eventually, our lips parted.

As I looked at Kazumi's beautiful face once again, I know understood what this feeling was. It was love. Had my consumption with defeating Kazumi in combat led me to develop feelings towards her? That was one of the many questions that weighed on my young mind. After all, the world of martial arts was a lonely one. You had to challenge your mind, body and soul. Maybe now, I had come to the results of these challenges.

Without delay, I stood up. "Come. We should get back inside. The guards will probably get suspicious of someone waltzing around the gardens" I fumbled with the right words to pick.

Kazumi did the same thing while getting up to the same level as I. "My sentiments exactly, Heihachi-kun" she told me, using this honorific that I knew was said for teenage boys.

Grinning smugly, I decided to do the same thing. "Whatever you say, Kazumi-chan" I then responded. But I was then reminded about what we had just done here. "By the way, we'll just tell the other students that our match ended in a tie. And please, don't mention to them about me crying…..it would mean a lot to me" he then pleaded to Kazumi like any normal teenage boy would.

She giggled in return. "Only as long as you do the same thing regarding my crying, tough guy" she responded, forcing me to groan in irritation.

And such, began the friendship between me and Kazumi. But I had a feeling that it would soon turn into something much bigger. I was still a reckless boy after all.

* * *

 _Several years later, in the gardens of the Mishima estate, Japan, Heihachi's POV_

Years passed and me and Kazumi continued to train in the Mishima Dojo. But this time, we came to see each other as equals rather than rivals. The other students were caught off guard by our sudden friendship, yet we didn't care. I also decided to not tell Akinobu nor Masahisa anything about our relationship. It was strictly private.

But someone had indeed taken notice of our newfound friendship. It was my father. For the last few years, I had started to rebuild my formerly strained relationship with Jinpachi. We saw each other eye to eye on more occasions than we used to. At the same time, he had been pleased to see how healthier the relationship between me and Kazumi had progressed. Even so, he was unaware of our secret feelings towards one another.

Right now, he was walking in the Mishima compound's garden alongside a dear friend of his: Wang Jinrei. This Chinese master had been rivals with my father in the past. Eventually, my father had bested him in combat, only to form a strong bond of friendship with him. Frankly I knew little of what made their bond so strong. But I know that both of them loved drinking sake together, as well as preach about compassion and honor. Wang had also visited the Mishima Dojo plenty of times before.

"Well, Jinpachi. I am pleased to hear how you and your son have developed a better bond as father and son. Heihachi seems like a different young man than what he was the last time I visited you" Wang spoke, walking alongside Jinpachi.

My father only laughed at that statement. "Ah, but I have always loved him as my son, Jinrei. Admittedly, it broke when his mother passed away. I sometimes wish I could be more understanding towards Heihachi in those times" he then said, feeling slightly sad as he spoke about my late mother's passing. But my father's spirit soon rose. "Fortunately, he seems to have moved past that episode. And he now has built an admirable comradeship with young Kazumi Hachijo" he then added.

"Ah yes. Your dojo's first female pupil. I have heard about her and her family. What would you describe Kazumi Hachijo as in terms of personality?" he wanted to know more from my father.

Jinpachi took his time to think, stroking his grey beard in the process. "Having known her so far, I would describe her like the kind of woman I admire. Headstrong. Compassionate. Polite. Determined. She reminds me of Heihachi's mother" he then started drawing comparisons between my mother and Kazumi.

Hearing this made Wang chuckle in amusement. "Oh, I am certain she does, old friend" he remarked in to my father's words.

As my father and Wang kept walking, they soon took notice of two small animals playing in the garden. It was a bear cub and a tiger cub that were having fun with each other. Of course, they were being watched over by several guards of the compound. Wang was feeling surprised.

"Goodness. Since when did you decide to open an animal shelter, Jinpachi?" Wang asked Jinpachi.

"At ease, Jinrei. These animals are under our protection. As a matter of fact, they belong to the dojo" he responded while pointing a finger towards the bear cub. "You see that bear cub over there? He belongs to my son. Heihachi found him abandoned in the nearby forest not so long ago. With encouragement from Kazumi, he decided to take the bear and raise him. That little rascal is quite a handful too. His name is Kuma" my father explained to Wang who that bear was.

He was right. Me and Kazumi found Kuma abandoned and lost in the nearby forest of the Mishima compound. Knowing that he was orphaned and that he would die alone, I took Kuma in. One of the many reasons I did it was because I wanted to show my father how compassionate I could be. Also, Kazumi was also in favor of having Kuma, since she wanted a playmate for her pet tiger.

"Now as for the tiger cub. She belongs to Kazumi. I still don't know where she found it, and neither does Heihachi. Still, that tiger looks so innocent and playful. I heard Kazumi named him Tora" my father then told Wang about Kazumi's tiger.

From what I understood from Kazumi, Tora had been a gift to her from the Hachijo clan. Although she had told me about how it had rejected her, Kazumi informed me that there was someone among the Hachijos that still cared for her well-being. She had even expressed to me that one day, she would return to her clan and prove them how a successful fighter she had become.

"Ah, I see. Both Heihachi and Kazumi share a common affinity for exotic animals. Indeed. There are few on this Earth who has a bear or a tiger as a pet" Wang remarked while stroking his long beard. "Speaking of which, where are those two? I would really like to meet them" Wang then expressed his desire to meet us.

My father nodded his head in agreement. "Of course, Jinrei. We best head to the dojo's main hall. I gather that they are training alone there now that the other students have left" Jinpachi said and motioned for his close friend to follow him.

Meanwhile, me and Kazumi were indeed training in the main hall. But at the same time, we were doing something else. Since it was just the two of us in the main hall, I had decided to show Kazumi something that I had done on this very floorboard. I wanted to surprise her and express my true feelings for her. That is why I had her eyes blindfolded as we sat down at the floorboard.

"Are you ready for your surprise?" I asked the young woman before me.

Kazumi giggled while having her eyes blindfolded. "Please, Heihachi. This is just weird. I hope that you're not tricking me or anything" she told me.

I grinned smugly at her words. "Trust me, it's a great surprise!" he told her as I went behind her to remove the blindfolds. I could tell how excited Kazumi was. That only pleased me to the fullest. Once the blindfolds were down, her eyes widened. She even gasped. "Surprise!" I exclaimed joyfully while taking my seat beside her.

On this very floorboard, I had personally carved out our names. I had done so in the form of Aiaigasa, a romantic expression to show my love to her. Then again, this was done to show our love towards one another. As I looked at Kazumi, words could not describe how happy she was.

"Heihachi…." Kazumi uttered out her name before facing me with an emotional expression. "It's beautiful! I mean…...how did you manage to do this?" she then asked me.

I only leaned back with my arms crossed, feeling very confident in my handywork. "Heh. With a little lesson from some of my clan's servants, I managed to learn the art of writing on wood. And what better place to write it on the very first place you and I met" I answered with a cocky grin.

Kazumi was happy, yet something seemed to bother her. "But what will Mishima-sensei say when he sees this? Won't he get upset when he finds out you have made a ripe on the floorboard?" she asked me in a slightly concerned tone.

"Tch, screw that old goat! He's got plenty of valuables that are more worth than a mere floorboard! No way that…..uahhhh" I was interrupted when Kazumi did something to me.

I was caught off guard when Kazumi pinned me down on the floorboard. She giggled, given that she had done so while I had been so careless and smug. She hung her face a few meters from mind, our lips almost nearing one another.

"You are such a naughty man, Heihachi Mishima" she teasingly told me.

"And you are such a lovely woman, Kazumi Hachijo" I responded, causing us both to laugh at whatever silliness we had caused.

As we were about to kiss, the door to the main hall opened and in came my father and Wang. They were surprised to see why we were in this position.

"Oh my goodness…" the old Chinese man could only say that.

"Heihachi? Kazumi? What are you two doing?" my father had to ask that damn question.

Personally, I was angry at this interruption. As such, I was about to actually get up on my feet and scream at them. But Kazumi got up first, and eventually managed to fill in for them with a white lie.

"Forgive us, Mishima-sensei. Me and Heihachi were just sparring. You see, he and I were about to train how to tackle someone onto the ground. And as you could see, I was the one pinning him down" she told them.

To my surprise, both my father and Wang seemed to buy it. "Ah, I see. That sounds like a very good form of training" Jinpachi said before showing us his best friend. "Forgive us if we were interrupting you or anything, but my old friend Wang Jinrei jus wanted to stop by and say hello. Surely you would not mind, would you?" he then questioned us.

Kazumi immediately bowed her head towards him formally. "Master Wang Jinrei! It's an honor to have you here on visit!" she expressed her uttermost admiration of the Chinese man.

He smiled beneath his beard. "Kazumi Hachijo. My, how stunning you have grown since the last time I saw you. You almost remind me of a Japanese or Chinese princess" he had the audacity to compare my lover to such simpleminded women. Wang then glanced over to me. "And you too, Heihachi. Your spikey hair and its color. Almost like Jinpachi when he was your age" he compared my current appearance to my father.

Personally, I felt insulted when he made that comparison. As such, I crossed my arms and scoffed at his so-called compliment. "Whatever" I told him, only to be nudged in the elbow by Kazumi. She looked at me with a deep frown, forcing me to reconsider my tone. "What I meant to say was…..whatever my father looked like, I am sure he was different than me" I corrected myself.

Both Jinpachi and Wang laughed in hearing this, unaware of the drawing I had made on the floorboard. Unbeknownst to them, the drawing I had made a confession of love to Kazumi. And I knew that she realized the same thing. In time, me and Kazumi had become inseparable. I then felt I had enough courage to propose to her. In return, Kazumi happily accepted and we kissed once again.

Once I told my father about my proposal to Kazumi, he felt overjoyed. That was probably one of the few times I had seen him act in such manner. Still, Jinpachi happily welcomed the news and he was even willing to negotiate with he Hachijo clan in order to make her a permanent Mishima. To my surprise, the Hachijos accepted it. They were happy on Kazumi's behalf and was willing to attend our wedding in order to give us their blessings.

Then came the wedding day. That day is without question the happiest in my entire life. I remember all the things I did, what we did at the ceremony and how me and Kazumi planned our future. That's why I simply cannot forget it, even if I wanted to.

The wedding celebration itself was a huge one. Many guests had shown up to witness me and Kazumi become husband and wife. Dojo owners across the Orient, the most prestigious Japanese clans, and even representatives of the Japanese government and monarchy were invited to our wedding. That only explained how influential the Mishima Zaibatsu was and how it had powerful friends.

Before our ceremony was to begin, Kazumi had given me a gift. Being her future husband, I was obliged to open it.

"You say that this was made from your family?" I asked her.

Kazumi nodded her head sweetly. "Certainly. They wanted to show their appreciation of you courting me. But still, I had a great role in making this gift" my future wife informed me. "Now open it and see for yourself. It will be your surprise!" she then encouraged me.

Knowing better than to keep my wife waiting, I opened her gift. It was an amazing outfit. She had given me a black sleeveless karate gi with tiger head design on his back, as well as a red obi. This was the same outfit that I would come to wear whenever I trained or battled foes in the future.

"Kazumi…...this outfit is…..." I was at loss for words.

"Do you like it?" Kazumi asked him.

"Yes, of course! It's wonderful! I like the colors" I assured her before looking at the tiger head design on the back of the gi. "But what's that tiger heard supposed to symbolize. Is this Tora?" I then asked her.

Kazumi had to giggle in hearing me say that. "Almost. But the reason why I have added it was to symbolize something else. Remember all the times that I would use my Tiger Wind Uppercut on you? You always failed to avoid them and fell onto the floorboard!" she explained the reason for why she had chosen the tiger head.

This only brought some embarrassing memories from our previous duels. Yes, I could never forget the moments Kazumi had used this technique of hers to knock me off balance.

Even so, I washed away all my reservations. "Thank you for this gift, Kazumi. It looks wonderful" I told her before giving her a kiss on her forehead. "Now then, we best het ready for the ceremony. It will be the most memorable day of our lives" I then reminded my future wife about what was about to happen next.

Kazumi nodded her head at me. "Of course, Heihachi. It most certainly will" she agreed with my assertion.

The wedding ceremony was one of the greatest moments of my life. I remember standing in front of Kazumi, gazing into her eyes as I thought about the life we would have as husband and wife. Her wedding kimono and tied hair was stunning to look at. I knew that I had made the right choice for my wife. And not just that, once I ruled the Mishima clan, Kazumi would then become its matriarch. She would rule by my side. My future was now looking bright.

"Heihachi…until death do us apart" that was the words I remember Kazumi say to me as we were about to get married.

The marriage ceremony was a complete success. Once it was done, every guest had come forward give their blessings to our newly-born union. Kazumi Hachijo was now Kazumi Mishima, thus becoming a full-fledged member of the Mishima clan. Those were wonderful times. But like any other stories, wonderful times never last forever. Sadly, even I had to face that fact. The only problem was that I learned it too late.

* * *

 _5 years later, at the Mishima gardens, Japan, Heihachi's POV_

Over the years since we married, me and Kazumi began planning our future as a family. That had resulted in us wanting a child. After all, I would need an heir to the clan's leadership once I become patriarch. That's when Kazuya was born. When he was, we were both overjoyed. I still remember how Kazumi would always dot the little boy as if he was something very precious. Still, that felt nothing wrong to me. We had now become proud parents of a healthy son.

But as the same time as I enjoyed being a father, I had begun noticing something different happen with not just Kazumi, but me as well.

Inside the Mishima gardens, me and Kazumi were now dueling against a couple of fighters. Like us, they also shared a fondness of training animal partners. My male opponent had a wolf that was up against Kuma, while Kazumi's female opponent had a crocodile that was up against Tora. Still, we won against those four, fair and square. As soon as the couple was gone, we took to celebrating our victory.

"Excellent work, Kuma! You did a terrific job!" I patted my partner, who already understood human language. True, Kuma was unique among most bears. He had a gift of learning, something rare for an animal such as himself. When I first discovered this, I had Kuma undergo some reason education, teaching him all about language and even sign language. That's why I held Kuma in such high regard. To me, he was not a pet, but an equal sparring partner.

After commending Kuma for his efforts, I then looked over to see my wife, who was already petting Tora. He purred in appreciation. "Such a good big cat" she praised him, stroking his whiskers. I had always been curious to know what sort of relationship existed between Kazumi and Tora. Still, I was confident that they were equal partners in the same manner as Kuma and I were.

I smiled as my eyes met Kazumi's. They were still as wondrous and mesmerizing as when we had tied the knot. I could not believe long it had been since we first met one another as children.

"So these two had a wolf and a crocodile? I wonder what the next couple will have. Perhaps a rhinoceros and a hippopotamus?" I tried to be humorous, something I noticed Kazumi took notice of when she laughed at my choice of words.

"You really think they have something that exotic? I was thinking more about a stag and an ostrich" she then responded.

This time, I had to laugh at my wife's gullible choice of words. Sometimes, it was fun whenever me and Kazumi were having these kinds of talks, especially after we had fought side by side in a fight.

"Mother! Father!" we both heard the voice of a young boy running towards us.

My wife looked up and smiled to see our son Kazuya run towards her. She warmly embraced him in a hug. "Kazuya! My beautiful boy. You're back! How was the trip with your grandfather like?" she asked him.

The little boy smiled up at his mother. "It was fun! Me and grandpa went into the forest! We even fished at the lake! I even caught a fish" he told us, telling what he had done.

My wife gasped in slight amazement. "Goodness, is that true?" she asked him.

"He is not lying" the elderly voice came from my father, who wore his usual kimono. He had changed over the years, his hair and beard now becoming white. "Young Kazuya caught two small fish at the nearby lake. We can eat them for dinner" my father told us.

Kazuya immediately ran over to hug Jinpachi. "Grandpa!" he expressed his loving nature towards the old man, which irked me a little.

As Jinpachi patted my son's head, Kazumi immediately bowed her head towards him in respect. "Welcome home, father. I trust that your trip was splendid" she said.

Since marrying into the Mishima clan, Kazumi was referring to Jinpachi as father. Such of addressing an in-law was common for Japanese women who married into powerful clans. But at the same time, my father had slowly begun to view Kazumi as his surrogate daughter.

"Ah, it was indeed, my dear daughter-in-law. Little Kazuya here learned a lot while we took this trip. He even had the chance of meeting children from the other clans along the way" Jinpachi answered, suddenly fixing his eyes upon me. When looked into them, they seemed quite stern. "And that reminds me, why not take Kazuya with you to meet with the other fathers and their sons, Heihachi?" he wanted some answers out of me.

Scoffing at his suggestion, I crossed my arms while looking into another direction. "Mind your own business, old man" I responded to him, pretending I was not interested.

Surprisingly, Jinpachi seemed to not give much thought about my ride words. Then again, that old fool was used to my heinous manners. "Naturally" he responded before turning around to take his leave. "I best be going now. Jinrei will soon arrive here for a visit. But if there is anything you need, just ask me. I am always available to my family" he told us before taking his leave.

"Of course, father. And please, say hello to Master Wang for us" Kazumi spoke up.

Jinpachi chuckled as he heard her say that. "I most certainly will. You two take care of Kazuya for now" he spoke in a grandfatherly manner that surprised even me.

Kazuya waved his hand at him. "Bye, grandpa! See you later!" my son called out to him. The little boy then went over to Tora to pet him. My wife's tiger greatly appreciated it. And it didn't take long before Kuma wanted some attention from Kazuya as well. But he was a high-spirited boy. There was much more that he wished to share with me and Kazumi, given that we were his parents.

Hey, mother! Father! Wanna see some new fighting moves I learned? Watchme!" he then surprised us both when he demonstrated some fighting moves.

Kazumi was only laughing sweetly at this, yet I was somewhat confused. The reason was because of this type of fighting didn't necessarily seem to be one I was teaching him. Therefore, I decided to ask my son something.

"Kazuya" he turned his attention to me as I looked him in the eye. I still kept myself composed. "Who taught you those moves? Was it your grandfather" I questioned my son in a manner any father would.

Kazuya let go of his mother's embrace and weakly nodded his head at me. "Y-yes, father" he told me with honesty.

When I heard what my son said, my blood boiled. "What? But why? I mean, I thought I was the one who trained you" I expressed my opposition to this.

Kazuya took a few steps backwards, feeling a little startled at my behavior. "But father…your lessons are sometimes so harsh…and I always lose to you in a match….." Kazuya stammered, only for me to interrupt him.

"That does not matter! I am your father! Not him!" I eruptively silenced him.

But in that moment, Kazumi stepped in between me and Kazuya. She faced me with a strict expression. "Heihachi! Do not speak to our son in such manner!" she reprimanded me while before leaning down to Kazuya's level. She held him by his shoulders. "Kazuya, why don't you go inside your room and play for a while. I promise that I will be there shortly. Just let me see why your father is so upset" she then told him.

The young boy immediately nodded, a bright smile forming on his face. "Okay, mother!" he responded before taking his leave.

Kazumi turned his attention to me, feeling very upset. Personally, I could not fault her for her behavior. "What's gotten into you, Heihachi? That is our son" she reminded me.

I crossed my arms while looking into another direction. "You are absolutely right. He's our son. And by that, I mean you and I, not Jinpachi!" I pointed out the obvious fact about my reservations.

"But my dear husband, he's only trying to be a good grandfather. And so far, he has proven that theory right" Kazumi insisted to me. "Besides, what's so bad about your father teaching Kazuya some of his moves?" my wife then asked.

"You know very well why. I want to be the one who raised Kazuya as my son. My father will not meddle in my parenting. Kazuya will become the strongest Mishima and a worthy heir to the clan!" I then boasted with pride of my intentions.

But for some reason, Kazumi seemed awfully concerned. "By having him undergo intensive training? Heihachi, that's completely unnecessary! Just because you went through the same thing, doesn't mean that our son will have to as well. We both know that!" she told me while reaching her arms around my shoulders. "Please, my love. Kazuya is just a little boy. You don't want him to grow up resenting you, would you?" she then tried to make me see reason.

I faced the floor as I heard her say that. Even though I was incredibly angered on the inside, Kazumi was the only person in the world who could ease it. That's why my anger soon ebbed out. I held my wife's hands in the short distance between us.

"You may be right, Kazumi. I would never wish for Kazuya to hate me. He's my son…my flesh and blood…...and my pride and joy" I stammered, realizing in how deep inside I loved Kazuya as my son.

My wife then took my hand and let me through the gardens. "Come then, Heihachi. Let's go inside and be with our son. I hear that he is anxious to show us his sneaker collection. He especially likes the ones we gave him for his birthday" she told me of one of the many hobbies Kazuya had.

I could not help but to think about. When it came to spending time with Kazuya, I was not necessary the playful father. Neither had any other talents besides fighting. Jinpachi, on the other hand, had plenty of talents. He was good in writing, origami and even telling stories. Kazuya could learn much from him. That is why I felt envois towards my father for being a much better figure to him than he ever was to me.

Even so, there my resentment towards Jinpachi was only the beginning of the most traumatic times of my life. They would forever change not just me, but my family as well.

It all started with a time me and Kazumi were training in the Mishima Dojo. We were having great fun in sparring, since it was what drew us together, away from other personal problems. But as we were sparring, Kazumi suddenly collapsed. I was completely distraught, as I wondered whether my wife had suffered a stroke or not. But while I could feel her heartbeat, she was burning up like she was on fire. Obviously, she was having a fever. Or so I thought.

In desperation, I rushed Kazumi to bed. I commanded two servants to prepare a bucket of ice-cold water. If I could cool off her fever with a wet towel, Kazumi would feel better. In the dojo's main hall, I put the towel in the bucket of water. But as I was making preparations, I noticed someone approaching me from behind.

"Kazumi…" I asked my wife, both in surprise and relief. At first, I was under the impression that her fever was gone. But there was something much more sinister.

The expression on Kazumi's face. It was so cold…...empty…and murderous. She didn't even say a word to me, her own husband. Without warning, Kazumi charged towards me. But this time, it was not sparring as we were known to do. She was intending on killing me! I tried to dodge my attacks, begging for my wife to come back to her senses. But it was no use.

Things even got way out of hand that Jinpachi and several of my guards had to intervene in order to restrain Kazumi. Eventually, she fell into unconsciousness once again. But she was alive. I could not bring myself to tell Kazuya about what his mother had tried to do, so I told him that she had a fever. Of course, he bought that.

The next day, Kazumi's fever had subsided. But she remembered nothing about our intensive battle the other day and went on as normal. This only made me suspicious. And not only that, Kazumi's attitude had also changed dramatically. It was like she had a split personality: one that was human and one that was…something else. My wife was not the same woman as she had been when I married her.

Kazumi's split personality went on for a while until one day…

* * *

 _Inside the Mishima Dojo, Japan, Heihachi's POV_

This day…...is the worst I have ever experienced in my life. For it would forever change the fate of my family…Kazumi's family…our family. Even though many years have passed, I still can't forget what happened during that day. It was on that day that I lost the woman I loved, the son I cherished, and the father I wanted to trust in.

It was during one of my sparring sessions in the Mishima Dojo. It was raining and thundering outside, yet I was not disturbed by such. A major reason for why I was doing that was to relieve some of the pressure that had been building on me for the past weeks. Relations between me and Jinpachi had soured. And as if that was not bad enough, I had grown frustrated over how Kazuya had failed to grow stronger during our usual training sessions. I still wanted him to be a worthy heir to the Mishima clan's leadership. Then there was also the relationship between me and Kazumi. It had only worsened.

As I trained to better my reflexes, I heard the voice of someone calling to me from behind. I stopped once I took notice of who it was that had entered the dojo's main hall. It was my wife.

"Kazumi…..." I stammered out the words of my beloved wife. "What are you doing here?" I then asked her, noticing how cold the expression on her face was.

"I have come to share something with you, Heihachi. It is a prophecy foretold by the elders of the Hachijo clan" she told me, yet I was still not following her. "According to this prophecy, you will one day become a threat to this world. It was already been written, based upon your recent actions and desires" my wife added.

Even as I listened, I still couldn't understand what Kazumi was talking about. Somehow, I was suspecting that this split personality of hers was starting to come back. That could have been the truth. But there was something much more sinister.

"My love…...what are you saying?" I barley had enough courage to ask her.

"You have already heard my words. If I continue to let you and this ambition of yours live, the entire world will suffer because of your actions. Therefore, I must bring death upon you!" Kazumi responded before charging towards me with such incredible speed.

Given that I was too distracted, Kazumi managed to land a punch to my stomach, thus sending me crashing into a metal grind. I still got my composer back, given that my wife charged towards me once again. With all my strength, I did my best not to hit her back, rather focusing on blocking her attacks.

"Kazumi! No! What are you doing!?" I demanded as tried to forcefully push her away from me.

But Kazumi did a backwards jump, landing a several feet away from my current standpoint. Truth be told, she was standing on the exact same spot I had written our names in the style of Aiaigasa. Even so, I was more concerned about this hostile attitude my wife was giving me.

Kazumi gave me a smug look, one that I had never seen her use before. Why was she doing that? The uneasiness within me continued to grow.

"Let me ask you something, Heihachi. Do you not know the true reason why I married into your family?" Kazumi suddenly asked me.

That questioned pierced through my heart like an arrow. "True reason…..Kazumi, what the hell has gotten into you!?" I demanded, only for something to hit in my head. I was thinking about everything me and Kazumi had been through since we were children, as well as when we became married. Slowly, I was beginning to see the picture. "No….it cannot be…are you saying that all this time….that your reason for even coming to this dojo…that your reason for getting to know me….that your reason for becoming my wife….." I kept repeating all those episodes.

To my shock, Kazumi laughed at my disbelief. To hear her do something so sadistic only hurt my heart. She was laughing at me for being a fool! A nitwit! A clown!

"It is as you suspect. I was sent here by the Hachijo clan not to love you. I was sent here to assassinate you. For millennia, we Hachijos have existed to destroy scum like you! It has always been our duty. And we know that men like you Mishimas are a danger to be let loose, with the noticeable exception being your foolish father!" Kazumi explained her reason, surprisingly speaking ill of Jinpachi, the same man she had come to venerate so much.

"So all those stories you told me….about you being a reject in your clan….as well as your desire to become acknowledged by them….." I uttered out.

Kazumi was still smiling smugly, not possessing an ounce of remorse. "All just lies to fool you. And not just you, but Jinpachi as well. Given how greedy and simple-minded that fool is, he was ignorant of the Hachijo clan's true motives for this close relationship between our clans. But I must say, I am surprised that even you fell for my stories" she insulted me while standing ready for combat. "But enough talk! It is time that I fulfill my destiny! I will first kill you and then kill Kazuya! That will prevent the prophecy from coming true!" she exclaimed as Tora suddenly emerged by her side.

As shocked as I was at Tora's unexpected appearance, I was even more terrified to learn about what she said about Kazuya. The same Kazuya she and I were parents of.

"You have gone mad…..why would you kill Kazuya!? Have you lost your mind!? That's our son you're talking about!" I demanded some answers.

Still, Kazumi remained unfazed at my pleading words. Instead, she curled her lips into a smirk as she petted Tora on his head. "You will know soon enough. We Hachijos does not like to leave traces of our powers behind. Those could potentially bring harm and chaos to this world. That's why I'm killing Kazuya!" she then told me.

As I stood and watched, something strange began happening with Kazumi's form. Her appearance changed! A lighting struck and her long hair became white, her eyes became red, and her skin became off-white. Sharp claws emerged on her hands and feet, similar to that of a demon. And finally, two red horns emerged from her head, as well as a couple of flaming wings sprouting out of her back. Kazumi had become a creature that I had never seen before. But she was not the only one. Even Tora had changed appearance. His fur had become pale white and his eyes was glowing.

"What is that!?" I asked lowly, standing on my guard as I watched what my wife and her pet tiger had become. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" I cried out in desperation.

Kazumi smirked as she faced me in the state I was. "Do you not recognize? This is the curse of the Devil. We Hachijos have been known to practice with every dark art as a means of achieving peace in this world. After all, we are assassins, so what we do, we do it for the world" she told me, her voice sounding much hollower and more sinister.

"Assassins?" I had heard rumors about the Hachijos being secretive, but I had never expected them to go into such lengths to achieve their goals. Toying with such dark magics was depraving. "Then that means Kazuya has…." I was beginning to learn the hard truth.

"Of course, fool. Kazuya has inherited my family's cursed blood. That makes him the same thing as me" Kazumi spoke up as she and Tora stood in their fighting positions. "But don't worry, he will die as soon as we have disposed of you" she said before firing some sort of beam out of the dot on her forehead.

And not just that, she had sent Tora straight at me. Knowing that I was alone in this fight, I would have to contend with both him and my wife…...although at this rate, I wasn't sure whether Kazumi could even be considered as such. All that mattered was that I had to survive, for the sake of protecting my son…who was also a monster.

"Die, Heihachi!" Kazumi said the most hateful thing towards me.

Yet I pressed on, battling two foes that were hellbent on killing me. Still, Tora was the easiest one to get rid of. He may have been a powerful tiger, but I had fought Kuma plenty of times. That had only given me enough strength to take on strong animals. But when I defeated Tora, I still couldn't help but to wonder whether he even was a real tiger or not.

Kazumi charged towards me, her horrifying form only giving her extraordinary powers. But I too had my fair share of strength. I was a Mishima! A fighter! And a warrior! I would not yield to some foul creature, even if that creature was the woman I loved.

Even so, Kazumi had become much more relentless. She continued to fire her laser from her forehead, which forced me to dive sideways to avoid getting hit. And she had certain advantages. Due to her wings, she was able to fly in the main hall. As she sought to tire me out, I realized that the only thing that I could get a shot of attacking her, was if I let Kazumi strike me down first. I decided to give it a shot.

"This is the end for you, Heihachi Mishima! You will not live for much longer" Kazumi yelled, diving towards me in an effort to strike me down. "YOU WILL DIE NOW!" she then yelled, piercing my face with her claws.

I tried my best to resist, as blood began streaming endlessly from my eyes. But as I held my ground, I empowered my right fist. Everything was going according to my plan. Reluctant as I was, I prepared to punch Kazumi straight in her chest.

"Please forgive me….." I said through gritted teeth, trying to bury any guilt that was biting me. "KAZUMIIIIII!" I screamed as my fist hit her chest, thus sending her up in the air.

This punch was too powerful for Kazumi to withstand, even in this demonic form of hers. I kept pushing on, using all my might to send my wife flying up in the air. She eventually landed on the floor, lying there completely unconscious. Surprisingly, Kazumi had reverted back to her normal appearance.

I could only stand and watch in seeing my wife lying there motionless with her eyes opened. Guilt began taking hold upon me. I just realized that I had killed my wife, the one thing that had saved me from living a life of misery and pain. But now, she was gone. But not just her. Our love was gone.

Sitting by her side, I watched as I closed her eyes. "Kazumi…why…...why did you do this!?" I asked as I watched my deceased wife's body with teary eyes. "I loved…..cared for you…..dreamed with you…" the were no better words to describe the life me and Kazumi had experienced together.

At this rate, I couldn't bare to look at Kazumi anymore. So I stood and walked away, praying that everything I had just been through was nothing more than a nightmare. I really hoped that was the case. Sadly, it was more than what I bargained for.

While I was walking away, I had noticed certain movements behind me. But I still continued moving, pretending as if I never heard anything. Once the sound came to me closer, I immediately turned around to defend myself against Kazumi. She was still alive and back in that devilish form of hers. Fortunately, I managed to block her attack. Yet Kazumi was not yet finished.

"You thought that punch would kill me!? You are just as spineless as your father!" she bellowed at me. "I have trained to kill ever since I was born! No way would I let you the end of me!" she added, still intent on killing me.

As I tried to hold off against my demonic wife, I tried to find a way to get to their weakest point: her neck. I knew that there was no other option. Kazumi had to die. But would I ever forgive myself for doing such? I never asked myself that while I was fighting Kazumi.

In the moment she left herself most vulnerable, I managed to grab Kazumi by her throat. Tightening my grip around her, I lifted Kazumi up in the air. In my hold, she was powerless to do anything to stop me. But as I was holding her fate in my hands, Kazumi still had enough strength and breath to speak.

"H-Heihachi….." Kazumi spoke, her voice as sweet as I remembered it. I did not let go of her, but that tone of her voice made me recall to all those happy times we had together. "What are you doing…..?" she then asked me with the same voice.

I felt outraged when she asked me that question. "What does it look like!? Trying to prevent you from killing me!" I barked back, slightly unmoved by her attempt to sway me.

"So you are just going to kill me: your own wife?" Kazumi then spoke up, still trying to put on this innocent act in front of me. "If you kill me, this everlasting chain of hatred will be born. Not just from you, but it will be spread on to Kazuya, as well as our offspring. You said you did not wish for our son to hate you, remember?" she then pleaded to me.

"And how is that my fault!? I never asked for any of this!?" I yelled, struggling to hold back my tears. "All that I wanted was to start a perfect family…..the family I never had because of that idiot Jinpachi! But yet despite my desires…..they all went up in flames!" I then lamented on how miserable my life had really been.

"That's because…..you were never supposed to have such, Heihachi….." Kazumi's words made me look into hers. She was definitely trying to make me loose my hold on her, yet I could tell by her eyes that she was telling the truth. "You are a Mishima. You know the clan's history. There is no room for feelings like compassion and love. You were never fit for such. The only thing you were fit to be was a warrior of hate. It's in the blood of the Mishimas. You are warriors who fight until you die. There was no way you could ever have a family life like the one you desired. The elders of the Hachijo clan had so foretold" Kazumi then spoke up more words to poison my mind.

But as much as I tried to clear them out, I could not help but to realize the truth in her words. She was right. Hatred between father and son. That was the Mishima way. It had been like that ever since the Sengoku era. But even if my father had been a pacifist and a wise leader, he was never the good father that I wanted him to be. Kazumi was perhaps right. I was never destined to have a family, love a family or even make one.

"But if you really love me, Heihachi, release me…." I heard Kazumi's words as I faced the floor in utter sadness. I noticed that she was trying to move her right hand against my head. "You and I can still be lovers. There is still a chance for us to…." Kazumi didn't get to finish the sentence.

I was the one to interrupt her. "No. You are not her. You are not the Kazumi I fell in love with! And you are no longer my Kazumi!" I told her as I lifted her a little bit higher.

"But H-Heihachi, remember what I told you…..the prophecy states…" she stammered, but it was not enough to sway my anger.

"SILENCE!" I yelled as my grip tightened around her throat. Right now, the years of anger and resentment took control over me. Kazumi's words had really hit my on the inside. She was right, all along. I looked up to her face one last time, my eyes still feeling teary. "If I have been labelled a threat to this world by those pestering elders…THEN SO BE IT!" I cried one last time before snapping Kazumi's neck.

And there…..she died. I watched the lifeless body of my wife in my powerful grip. But I couldn't bear it much longer. Both she and Tora were now dead. I let Kazumi fall onto the floorboard completely lifeless. But I still stood and watched my wife's corpse.

As looked at the only woman who I ever loved lying on the floorboard, tears streamed out of my eyes. It was because of me having lived through a life of lies and deceits. I realized what I had done now. I had set in motion a terrible cycle of endless hatred that would spread to my son….and later my grandson. But why would I be responsible for such things? I never asked for any of this! Was the world really that unfair towards men like me!?

"AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed out in agony over what I had just done. I had killed my wife, after finding out her true motives. And it was during that moment…my humanity died.

Both Jinpachi and Kazuya eventually discovered what I had done towards Kazumi. But that didn't matter. I took care of each of them separately.

When confronting my father, he revealed to me that he knew all about Kazumi's reputation as an assassin of the Hachijo clan, let alone her Devil Gene. And to think he had withheld such important information to me, his own son!? In anger, I challenged my father to a combat and instigated a coup against his leadership of the clan. After defeating him, I had him imprisoned in the dungeons beneath Hon-Maru, a place where the spirit of a vengeful demon that had been slain by my ancestors was being kept. I expected that old bastard to die in the dungeon by starvation and lack of sunlight. But that theory proved wrong, when this spirit would eventually take hold on Jinpachi, thus freeing him from Hon-Maru years later.

When I assumed the mantle of Mishima Patriarch, I ceased all partnership with the Hachijo clan. And as a present for their insolence, I had my forces kill each and every member of that damned clan. I proceeded to rebuild the Mishima Zaibatsu's status as a powerful military firm. That was my next step of brining me towards global domination. Yes, no one really gave a damn about me. So if I could never experience love nor happiness, then I would claim them by force in dominating the world.

And as for Kazuya, the young boy had still proven himself unable to best me in combat, even with the newborn rage within him. In addition to that, I had decided to take in Lee Chaolan as my adoptive son, mostly to mock Kazuya for his weakness. But I never forgot what Kazumi had told me. I had to be certain that this Devil Gene had indeed been passed onto Kazuya. That is why I throw him off a cliff after defeating him. If he survived, then it had to be because of the Devil's power. And my suspicions turned out to be correct when Kazuya showed up to battle me at the first King of Iron Fist Tournament.

You youngsters probably know the rest of my story. Throughout the ages, I cared only above achieving power that would make me invincible. Love was dead to me. I also went to straight lengths in order to achieve immortality, in hopes of being able to stand against the Curse of the Devil. Kazuya was my main concerns at first, but Jin Kazama would later come into the picture. Also, I had a brief intimate relationship with a Swedish woman that would later produce Lars Alexandersson. I had always feared that being intimate with Kazumi had let the Devil spread his curse upon me. But when I first met him and saw that he had no signs of it, I was relieved.

Now you have listened to my story. You may have different opinions on whether I am a hero or a villain. But I could give a damn about it! You have never been seen the things I have. The only thing that I can agree with you on, is that I would rather die than living with such pain in a lifetime. What I will do next…you will know soon enough.

 _To be continued…_


	38. My Past Sins of Yesterday

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 38: My Past Sins of Yesterday**

 _Inside a Mishima estate, the countryside of Gunma, Japan_

Heihachi Mishima had finally done it. Seeking to let the world know of the truth behind this family feud, the Mishima Patriarch had agreed to meet with Lei Wulong of the Hong Kong Police. He was already working to uncover the truth about the Mishimas. And now, Heihachi had shared with him every little detail about his past.

As Lei had written down everything the old man had said, the Chinese man couldn't help but to be stunned with what he had learned. The story that Heihachi had just told him, changed everything. He now knew that the Mishima-bloodline was never cursed to begin with. It was the Hachijo-bloodline, which of course came from his deceased wife, Kazumi Mishima. Still, Lei had taken notice of how different Heihachi had been when he had told him his story.

Having just learned about the night Kazumi was killed, Lei decided that it was time for him to ask some questions.

"So that's how you killed you wife…." Lei uttered out, the detective still in disbelief in the story he had heard. "I...I never knew that Kazumi had such a secret life. To think that someone so graceful was an assassin" he then noted.

Heihachi, who had been facing the floorboard for quite some time, lifted his head a little to face Lei. "She was sent to the Mishima Dojo to murder me, plain and simple. And if I died, she would have come for Kazuya next. It was meant to be such…..all because we were deemed threats to this world's peace as some damn elders of the Hachijos claimed" he spoke up, yet he still had more information to share with Lei. "It was only after I killed Kazumi that I learned more about her family. They were than just humble nobles. They were assassins willing to use whatever means to secure the safety of this world…even if it meant…toying with dark arts" the old man then told Lei what he knew.

This reminded Lei about his brief visit to the elderly man named Moto. He had once worked at the Hachijo-household. But Lei could still remember the lyrics of this nursery rhyme sung by the Hachijos. They were more than just spine-tingling for him to remember. Everything made sense to him now. The Hachijo clan carried a dark secret that not even Heihachi himself had been aware of.

"But why did you drop Kazuya off a cliff? He was just an innocent boy at the time" Lei changed the subject, wanting to know what made Heihachi willing to commit something so atrocious. But then again, Kazumi was little different when it came to her own agendas.

Heihachi's gaze pierced through Lei. "I believed that if Kazumi's blood flowed through his veins, he was not human. If the fall did not kill him, I would be proven correct. And as expected, he survived. Kazuya would then show up at the first King of Iron Fist Tournament" he explained the reason for why he did that.

Lei was stunned, yet at the same time, understood what Heihachi was saying. "Of course! Kazuya survived that fall…because of his Devil Gene!" the detective gathered what intel he knew about Kazuya's "episodes".

"Looking back, I see now I should have killed him when I had the chance. Had I drowned him at birth, all of this could have been avoided. And as you may have witnessed, he now has become a great menace to this world" Heihachi admitted while gazing at his right hand, soon clenching it firmly. "That is why there is only one thing left for me to do: reveal the truth and be judged. Whatever opinion this world's population will have of me is none of my concern. What matters is that they know about the hell I went through" he then spoke of how he was planning to reveal everything to the world. But was there something more to him that Lei thought?

The Chinese man was in deep thought as he listened. Somehow, he could feel for Heihachi. It was clear to him that beneath that stoic and ruthless demeanor, was a lonely man who had lost his humanity and ability to feel love. Heihachi was only a hollow shell of his former glory. Still, Lei knew that there were always two sides of this story, although he could never hear it from Kazumi's point of view given she was deceased.

But Lei's writing was interrupted when Heihachi asked him bluntly. "You hate me for continuing this war effort, do you not? And I suppose that you in secret wish to arrest me and then extradite me to the International Criminal Court" the old man's words got Lei's attention to his fullest.

"What? How do you know about my….." Lei was caught off guard when a couple of Tekken Force soldiers held him from behind. "Hey! What the hell's going on!?" he demanded as they refused to let go.

"Fool! You think I don't know all about you and your connections!" Heihachi bellowed as he stood up from his seat. "I know about your collaboration with Lee Chaolan and Lars Alexandersson! And I also know you are in league with a couple of meddling agents of the United Nations! That is why I am not planning on letting you go just yet!" the Mishima Patriarch revealed what he knew of Lei.

The police officer's eyes widened in shock. "Crap! He knows everything! But how!?" Lei wondered, yet he soon found himself shrugging off such thoughts. "Then again, that's the kind of man Heihachi Mishima really is. With that said, it looks like I will have to make my own escape from now on. And I know just the trick!" he then schemed a plan.

Without warning, Lei used his flexibility to jump and get those enemy soldiers off him. None of them were fast enough to predict his moves. Heihachi was irritated yet surprised by this. However, he found himself at a gunpoint, due to Lei pulling out his handgun and aiming it at him.

"FREEZE! STAND STILL OR I WILL SHOOT YOU!" Lei commanded him, his finger nearing the handgun's trigger. Surprisingly, Heihachi only stood and glanced at him unfazed. "Heihachi Mishima, on behalf the international community and this world's population, as well as your past transgressions…...I'M PLACING YOU UNDER ARREST!" he then expressed his determination to arrest someone as dangerous as Heihachi.

However, Lei's antics had caused enough noise and a squadron of Tekken Force came in from behind. They were being led by Kuma. He was also accompanied by Tamaki and several security guards. Fortunately, Lei caught wind of their attempt to interfere.

"ALL OF YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!" Lei snapped at the before returning his gaze upon Heihachi. "Make one move, and I will shoot your leader!" he then issued a warning to Heihachi's subordinates.

Tamaki was surprisingly calm amidst this hostage crisis. "Using hostages? Quite a cowardly tactic you are using there, Lei Wulong" she noted with dismay.

"(Master….)" Kuma was very worried for his master's wellbeing.

Surprisingly, Heihachi didn't seem concerned to be at a gunpoint. He only stood there glaring at Lei with dispassion. "What exactly are you hoping to accomplish here, Super Cop?" he questioned him while crossing his arms. "I told you everything you wanted…let alone gave you permission to tell my story to the world…..yet this is how you repay me!? Why do you treat me as if I am a villain!?" he really wanted some answers out of him.

Lei's eyes narrowed further in suspicion. "Because you are a villain, Heihachi!" he hit back, this making Heihachi's eyes widen in confusion. "You heard me right. After everything you have done, including producing weapons of mass destruction, experimented on innocent human beings and committing frauds all over the world, you really think your hands don't have blood on them!? That's where you're wrong!" Lei snapped at him.

Heihachi scowled at such words. "What!?" he demanded an answer.

"The fact that you're even oblivious to your own wrongdoings only puts in the same category as your son and grandson" Lei pointed out, feeling more than willing to share some of his own opinions about Heihachi. "Yes, you may not be as devilish and cursed as Kazuya. But you still bear the mark of a deranged madman. Your actions alone prove it. Master Wang Jinrei was right about you. You're just as misguided as your descendants" he then explained how Hehachi was not so different from his family.

To hear such words only made Heihachi's blood boil. As a result, lighting began showing itself across his muscular body. Right now, the Mishima Patriarch's rage was on full display for everyone in the room to see. Apparently, Lei's words had reminded about Heihachi something his late wife had told him. Thinking about those really set him off.

"Shut up…." Heihachi growled as the lightning continued sparkling all around him. "DO NOT SPEAK AS IF YOU KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT MY LIFE! YOU KNOW NOTHING! AND NEITHER DOES THAT OLD SIMPLETON MY FATHER CONSTANTLY GUSHED ABOUT!" he yelled as he actually kicked the handgun Lei was holding up in the air.

The Chinese man was stunned, but was too late to be concerned. Heihachi grabbed him by his shoulders and proceeded to deliver a powerful headbutt at him. He was sent flying towards Kuma and his soldiers, soon getting caught by them. Surprisingly, Lei was not out of consciousness just yet. But he could still feel the pain in his head.

"Ouch…...that's gonna leave a mark" he winced as he was being held up to his feet by the enemy soldiers.

Heihachi stood and faced Lei as the detective was struggling to get rid of the pain. "I grow tired of this nonsense. You have already heard what I wanted to share with the world. Therefore, I have no longer have any use for you, Lei Wulong" he told him, surprisingly feeling different in his expression.

"Then what does this war mean to you!? What are you hoping to accomplish by letting me tell the world about your story!?" Lei then barked, still possessing enough energy to speak. "You really think this story will absolve you from all your wrongdoings!? Is causing suffering to more innocents worth a pitiful family dynamic!? ANSWER ME!" he then demanded some words out of him.

The Mishima Patriarch continued to stare at him with his teary eyes. But in a minute, he made gesture with his right hand, ordering his men to knock Lei out of consciousness. Lei felt himself loosing energy, his eyes shutting off in an instant.

With the police officer lying on the floorboard, Kuma and his troops gathered around to figure out what to do with him. Meanwhile, Heihachi could not help but to keep staring at Lei's unconscious body. Why he did that, none of his subordinates understood.

"(Carry him to the car. Drive him to a place where you can drop him off. And remember not to…)" Kuma was giving orders to his soldiers, only for his master to intervene.

"Hold it!" Heihachi's voice boomed and they all watched as he approached the unconscious policeman. He looked down on him, only to roll Lei over with his foot. Neither Kuma nor Tamaki seemed to know why their boss was doing that. But they were in for a surprise when Heihachi bent over to search through Lei's jacket. "I know it was too good to be true. This imbecile has allowed himself to be wiretapped without knowledge!" the old man said as he held a device for everyone to see.

Tamaki adjusted her glasses, trying to get a better look at what Heihachi was holding. "Wait! That thing's not a mere device!" the secretary remarked.

"(She's right! It's a wire…...but how…)" Kuma realized that Lei had been wiretapped.

"But who could possibly have placed this on him? Is this Interpol's doing?" Tamaki wondered.

"Wrong. He was last seen entering a G Corporation Exhibition. And that only explains who is the mastermind behind this wiretapping!" Heihachi was angered, thinking about his worst enemy. "Get rid of this piece of trash this instant! Throw him somewhere out in the wilds! I do not care as long as you get him out of my sight! But remember, do not kill him!" Heihachi then commanded Kuma and his soldiers, who obeyed without hesitation. He was still holding onto the wire.

"But what will you do, sir?" Tamaki questioned her superior.

Heihachi looked at the device in his right hand. "I'm going to have a little "chat" with our adversary. Then, I will begin my final step towards ending all this madness. Do not disturb me" he said before taking his leave. That didn't mean he stopped talking however. "When I return, I will fill you in on how to proceed with this. After all, this is a war" Heihachi told his secretary as he disappeared around the corner.

Tamaki was concerned for Heihachi, yet she knew better than to go against his wishes. Instead, she went outside to see how Kuma and the Tekken Force were doing in placing Lei in the back of a car. He was unable to do anything at the moment, given how unconscious he was. What would happen next, only fate could decide.

* * *

 _Inside a control room in the G Corp's new HQ, Jakarta, Indonesia_

Because of Lucky Chloe's successful effort in planting the wire on Lei while taking a hug pic together, the leaders of the G Corporation could now eavesdrop on everything Lei said, as well as those words that were being said to him. It had been Kazuya's plan, since he had gained knowledge about Lei wanting to search for clues about the Mishima clan's history. But what had angered him more, was Lei wanting to find out more about his mother's clan. That is why Kazuya wanted to get track of Lei's whereabouts.

When he and his associates had learned about Lei meeting with Heihachi, Kazuya had decided to listen to every word that was being said. But the CEO of the G Corp got more than he bargained for.

Kazuya had managed to overhear everything, including when Heihachi told his secret to Lei. The man with the red eye had listened as his father had detailed everything in his life. He had even heard about how Heihachi had killed his mother. This revelation had only left Kazuya in a deep thought. None of his associates dared to interrupt his thinking.

Kazuya was recalling back to his duel with Revenant. He remembered what the cultist had told him, including what Kazumi and her clan truly were. Still, Kazuya refused to believe in the fact that his own mother also sought out his death.

"No…I refuse to believe it…" Kazuya uttered out few words.

He had a good reason in feeling this conflicted. For years, Kazuya had dedicated his life to avenge his mother's death. It was what had motivated and fueled his hatred towards Heihachi. But to hear these allegations about Kazumi…only made the situation worse.

"It can't be true…no…I know you wouldn't do that…...mother" Kazuya continued to come up with words to describe what he was feeling. "You were not cursed…no…...it was Jinpachi who was cursed…...yes, that's what it was" he still refused to believe in what he had heard both his father and Revenant say.

But as he kept pondering, Kazuya could not help but to realize something. He had read all about the Mishima clan, as well as how they came to seal a demonic spirit beneath Hon-Maru. Kazuya also knew that his late grandfather was imprisoned there during his father's takeover of the Mishima Zaibatsu. And this vengeful spirit would eventually possess a weakened Jinpachi, escaping from Hon-Maru.

"Grandfather…you never had the power of the Devil…...and neither does that damn fool, Heihachi…" he noted, still holding some high regard towards his late grandfather. "That narcissist Lee is a non-Mishima…...while Lars is just another result of Heihachi's pitiful actions…yet he does not possess the Devil's power as I do" the middle-aged man was thinking about his family.

But as Kazuya was trying to think, a voice invaded his mind. While Kazuya had completely given in to the Devil Gene and was able to use its power as he pleased, its sill had the ability to act as an independent entity within him.

"Why do you seem so distressed, Kazuya?" the voice of the Devil came into him. As calm and unfazed as Kazuya was, he could still feel the effects taking a toll upon him. "You are not feeling resentful in having my blessing, are you? After all, it was I who saved your life whenever that damned father of yours threw you down to kill you. There is no reason to be ungrateful towards me" the voice continued, reminding Kazuya whom he owed his soul to.

But Kazuya had enough willpower to clear those voices. "Shut up, you damn spirit. Only I get to control my fate and actions" he thought, thus sending the Devil away from his mind.

But as he was trying to make sure that his inner demons were under his control, Kazuya heard a familiar voice coming from the computers. His eyes snapped, as he knew who that belonged to.

" _Hello again, Kazuya. How nice of you to stick your nose in business. Still, I must express my disappointment in seeing how you are willing to use that foolish cop as a decoy to eavesdrop on our conversation. Like always, you continue to disappoint me_ " Heihachi spoke to his son directly.

Kazuya did not answer, his angry gaze fixed upon the screen. That only encouraged Heihachi to continue speaking.

" _There is no point in staying silent now! I know all about your schemes. And I also understand that you have been listening to everything that I said to Lei Wulong, am I right? Well, given that you are such a conniving weasel, I suppose it does not hurt to come clean now_ " the old man continued, still speaking with such negative tone towards his son.

However, Kazuya had not responded to his father. He kept staying silent, almost as if he was listening to radio.

" _Kazuya, what I did that night…...I did it for you…for us! I always wanted you to be the perfect son that was raised in my image. But your mother was trying to kill us both. She never loved anyone of us! Her damn family had deemed us both to be potential threats to this world. Do you now see where this terrifying power of yours stem from? It is not because of Jinpachi. And it is not because of me! Indeed, you received it from Kazumi and whatever cursed bloodline she came from. There was no way that…_ " Heihachi was interrupted by the angry voice of his son.

"ENOUGH BULLSHITTING!" Kazuya yelled, a powerful fist almost creating a hole on the table. He scowled before opening his mouth to respond to his father. "What is it you want, Heihachi!? Do you have some final words you wish to share with me before I come for you?" he coldly asked him.

" _Deluded fool! It is you will be finished! Because the real reason why I am speaking to you through this wire you planted on that detective, is because I challenge you to a fight to the death!_ " Heihachi revealed what he wished.

Kazuya was not moved, yet he was tempted by his father's suggestion. "Tch, pitiful old man. You have grown more senile over the years!" the Japanese man expressed his distaste towards his father. "But on the other hand, I feel happy that you are at least taking the initiative. You have no idea how long I have been wanting to kill you with my own hands!" he then exclaimed with a hidden bloodlust.

" _Then cease this sanctimony and listen to your father once and for all!_ " Heihachi barked, yet he was not yet finished speaking. " _The midnight is almost upon us. That is the perfect opportunity to make our preparations for combat. And I happen to have selected the perfect place to be your tomb. Gather what allies you can and head for Kīlauea on Hawaii. Our duel will happen in the crater of Puʻu ʻŌʻō! It is there were we will end this feud. See me there, if you are brave enough to fight me. After all, it will be the last time we will spend quality time together as father and son. Do what you must, Kazuya. But know that I will face you with all my strength!_ " those were the last words of Heihachi before the sound of crunching could be heard.

Kazuya knew that his father had destroyed the wire, thus unable to hear more from him. But it didn't matter to him anymore. He knew what Heihachi wanted. A final battle to the death itself. That is why he was more than willing to accept the challenge.

Standing up from his seat, Kazuya was about to the exit the door, only for Anna Williams to stop him. "Wait. Where are you going, Kazuya?" the brunette asked him.

Kazuya stopped in his tracks, eventually looking over his shoulder to face her, and Bruce Irvin. They had both been with him while he had eavesdropped on Lei and his conversation with Heihachi.

"Simple. Making preparations for the upcoming battle" Kazuya answered, much to the surprise of his subordinates. "Yes, we are going to Kīlauea on Hawaii. It's time to end this war once and for all. And it's the perfect opportunity for me to end Heihachi's miserable existence. You know what to do. Gather Gigas, Alex and JACK-7 and the rest of our forces. Tell them to be prepared for war!" he then told his associates.

Neither Bruce nor Anna seemed to have any reservation about this. "Alright! But it may take a while before the army's ready. And mind you, we'll be flying across the Pacific for hours. Our vehicles are needed for a harsh environment such as Kīlauea, though" Bruce remarked, yet he didn't feel like it was that much big of a deal. "Still, our planes will take us there faster than normal ones. But it looks like you'll be alone inside Puʻu ʻŌʻō. That place is a living hellhole. No way any of our troops and vehicles will last there" he then added, mindful of what challenges they would face.

Kazuya seemed completely unfazed with this. "That's nothing for you to be concerned about, Bruce. I would actually prefer if none of you interfered in my fight against Heihachi. After everything he has done, it will be me who puts an end to him" he revealed to them before moving out towards the door. "We'll be leaving for Hawaii shortly. I expect all of you to have gathered when I return. Do not disappoint me" Kazuya exited as he said those words to his subordinates.

As their superior was gone, Anna and Bruce couldn't help but to reflect on whether something had happened to their friend once he had listened to Heihachi's story. They each reminded themselves about what tragic and rough childhoods they had. It even made then tell that to each other.

"Damn. I guess Kazuya is no different from me. Hell, I also had a rough childhood. Growing up in a low-income American neighborhood was no paradise for my family. Gangsters and criminals roamed the streets. And of course, I ain't just talking about African-Americans. Caucasians, Hispanics, Asians, hell even Native Americans, they all called that rough neighborhood home. It was the home of the underdogs" Bruce told Anna about his story.

Anna was surprisingly acting in a sympathetic manner towards Bruce. This was rare thing for someone as sassy and narcistic as her to do. "Of course. I remember you telling me once. You lost your family at a young age, didn't you?" she calmly asked him.

Bruce nodded his head, facing the floor as he started recalling back to those painful memories. "It was during one night. A couple of White thugs and their Hispanic gangster boss attacked my family. Both my parents and older brother were killed while I survived" the black-skinned man said while feeling the pain as he was telling Anna. "And that only taught me one important lesson: only the strong survive. It has led me to learn how to survive in this messed-up world. But it's more than that. Kazuya may be my boss and all, but he sometimes reminds me of my late brother. He's like a brother that I can relate to. And that's why I'm willing to follow him into the depths of hell" Bruce then revealed more about his reasons for being loyal to Kazuya.

"Agreed. I feel the same way you do, although I would not necessarily consider Kazuya as a brother figure" Anna noted, sighing before continuing speaking. "But even though my childhood cannot be compared to yours, mine was not as privileged either" the brunette remarked.

This time, Bruce seemed more than curious to know. "Now that reminds me. You haven't told me much about your past life. The only I keep hearing from you is how much you hate your sister and vice versa" Bruce pointed out, knowing how little Anna talked about her past.

Anna couldn't help but to scowl as she heard that. "That's part of reason for why I don't, Bruce. Even to this day, that old hag Nina keeps blaming me for our father's death, when she knows damn well that it's hers!" the brunette expressed her open antagonism towards her older sister. "But as you already know before, I was born and raised in Ireland. But living there during The Troubles was no pleasant at all. You see, my father Richard Williams was once an assassin for the IRA. As such, he carried out plenty of killings towards British targets while participating in the nastiest street fight. But my father was soon forced to abandon IRA. He had an intimate relationship with an Englishwoman. That same Englishwoman was also my mother" Anna explained a part of her own history.

Bruce's eyes widened as he heard that. "Woah…...so you're saying that you're a part-Irish and part-English? I mean, that seems logical" he was slightly amused in what he was hearing.

"That means nothing to me. I was born and raised Irish. Still, it was not easy. As a child, I would often be bullied and teased by other children for having an English mother. After all that was forbidden for members of the IRA and a great taboo in Irish society at that time. Still, my father always favored Nina above me. He dedicated most of his time to train her in what he learned about martial arts. Luckily, however, my mother was also a genius in such. That's why she trained me" Anna continued on with telling Bruce her childhood.

Bruce had to chuckle in hearing this. "So basically, you were a mommy's girl while your sister was a daddy's girl. Now that's interesting to hear. But how was your mom as a genus in martial arts? I mean, was she an assassin like your dad or something?" he then wondered, feeling curious about Anna's mother.

"Honestly, I have no idea. But given how she was both loving and secretive at the same time, I can only suspect that my mother was working for British special service. Admittedly, I still miss both her and my father" Anna said, feeling slightly embittered over the fact that both of her parents were gone. But a cunning smirk soon emerged on her lips. "But even if I don't have a family, I still have friends. And Kazuya happens to be the one who understand for why I am. That's why I'm on his side" the Irishwoman explained why she followed Kazuya.

Bruce couldn't help but to smirk. "Glad to know that we both agree on something" he spoke to her. "Now let's get moving. Kazuya won't be happy if we haven't made preparations for his next campaign" he then told his comrade, who was in agreement of doing that.

"Then I will accompany you" Anna told him as she followed Bruce through the door.

Meanwhile, Kazuya was all by himself inside his private quarters. He was getting read to change clothes. As he was in his bare torso, Kazuya looked at the scar running across his chest. That had only brought him painful memories, back when he was thrown off a cliff by Heihachi as a child. Yet at the same time, he also took notice of something.

When Kazuya had first awakened after the fall, he heard the Devil speak to him. Truth be told, he never recalled hearing it do that before his mother's death. Something did not make sense to the Mishima.

"Mother.….I…..I can't trust Heihachi's words…..yet at the same time…..they have some truth" Kazuya began speaking, admitting how he was conflicted at the moment. He had thought about not just the words Revenant had told him, but also what the Devil within him had said. "If Heihachi does not have the Devil Gene…...but Jin does…that can only mean…." Kazuya kept puzzling the pieces together.

"Do not lose focus of your destiny!" the voice of the Devil invaded his thoughts once again. "You know what you are, Kazuya! You are born to avenge your mother by killing that bastard Heihachi! How can you even call yourself Kazumi's son if you can't avenge her? She would have been so disappointed in you" the entity added, speaking sarcastically.

That only angered Kazuya, and he made sure that he had the reigns of the Devil once again. His strong will only made the Devil vanish off his mind. "Quit lecturing me! No one orders me around! Not even a false spirit such as yourself!" he reprimanded the Devil.

"How dare you! Do you know who you are talking to! I am your savior!" the voice invaded his thoughts, only to vanish quickly.

Smirking, Kazuya completely ignored that reminder. "No. You didn't save me" the Japanese man replied, stroking the scar across his chest. His red eye glow brighter as he watched himself in the mirror. "My mother's blood did" he then said, starting to acknowledge that his Devil Gene was indeed inherited from his late mother.

* * *

 _Inside a Honda NSX supercar, Nakanojo, Gunma, Japan_

In this orange Honda NSX supercar, two security guards of the Mishima Zaibatsu were driving in Nakanojo, following the Shirasuna River. They were heading towards an insolated place in the wilds for a good reason.

"Let me out! Let me out, you Zaibatsu-bastards!" an angry voice came from the car's trunk. The security guards even heard banging noises, due to the that person hitting inside. "If one of you let me go, I'm gonna haul your asses to the nearest jail! You hear me!?" the voice belonged to Lei Wulong as it was him they were planning on taking to the wilds.

One of the security guards had enough of his antics. "Shut your piehole, pig fucker! Your threats don't scare us squat!" he snapped, feeling that Lei's words were getting on his nerves. "Now for the last time, we will let you go when we've arrived at our destination. Until then, keep your mouth shut and stop banging on the damn car!" he then added.

"Screw you!" Lei hit back, continuing with hitting inside the trunk, much to the security guard's irritation.

"Argh! Why the hell do we even need him alive!? I say we kill him and dump his body in the river!" he asked his partner, who was driving the vehicle.

"That is out of the question. The boss has placed him in charge of revealing his story to the international public. Therefore, Lei Wulong is not to be physically harmed or killed. That is a direct order from the boss himself" the driver reminded his impatient partner.

The security guard grumbled in anger. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with before I lose my mind. The sooner we get rid of this trash, the quicker we can hit the onsen. I could really use a break from all this stress that's been biting on me lately" he then said, even suggesting what they could do afterwards.

"I heard that!" Lei responded, although he was saying that in a taunting manner.

Loosing his patience, the security guards reached for his handgun. "You know what? Fuck the boss' order! I'm gonna put that ching chong bastard out of mis misery!" he hurled a racial abuse at Lei while loading his weapon.

"No! What are you doing!?" the driver was trying to prevent his colleague from disobeying a direct only, only for something else to happen. He lost control of steering the vehichle. "SHIIIIT!" he cursed as he struggled.

"What happened!?" the security guard demanded, only to lose focus as the car kept spinning around.

"The tires have been destroyed! I can't steer this car! I'M LOSING CONTROL!" the driver cried as his hands were struggling on the steering wheel.

The car lost control that it eventually crashed into a sign outside a construction site. It was quite powerful. Amidst the collision, airbags emerged to reduce whatever harm the security guards would be exposed to. Surprisingly, Lei had not made a noise since the crash.

Back in the Honda, the two security guards were groaning in pain. Obviously, the crash had taken a toll on them, given that the sign itself was made of rocks. Lucky for them, the car had airbags, yet it was not enough to minimize the damage. Smoke came out of the car's motors. There was no question that the car itself was damaged and unable to be used for driving.

"ARGH! DAMNIT!" the driver cursed as he opened the door to get out.

His partner did the same thing. "That was close…we almost died just now!" he expressed his shock of what he had just been through.

As they each exited the damaged vehicle, the security guards took a good look at its tiers. All of them were damaged.

"Great! The damn wheels don't work on this side anymore!" the security guard told his partner.

"Same here. They've all been punctured" the driver responded. He then got down to his knees in order to investigate the damage. "But this can't be the result of gunshots. I don't see any bullets" he remarked while searching for clues.

"Hey! Look over there!" his partner suddenly called out as he watched something lying in the middle of the road. "There's something on the road!" he then noted as he got a better look at the object.

The driver quickly moved over to the location in order to see what it was. He was in disbelief.

"Tire shredders? In the middle of Nakanojo? You gotta be kidding me!" he exclaimed before picking it up to study it. "And not just that. These things are made by the Zaibatsu. They even have its symbol underneath" he told his partner while looking underneath the tire shredders.

"So that means the G Corp's not behind this? Then who else could possibly have access to the Zaibatsu's own…" the security guard stopped speaking once he heard the sound of someone loading their weapons. "Aww fuck me….." he realized as there were enemies nearby.

Out from different locations, three soldiers wearing Tekken Force gear emerged out of hiding. But unlike the average members, they wore a lion's head as an insignia. The two security guards knew who these men were.

"They're Tekken Force defectors!" the driver exclaimed as he pulled out a handgun. His partner did the same thing. "I should've known it would be them!" he then added.

"Whine about it, later! We need to….." his partner stopped speaking when he was attacked from behind. The security guard was knocked in the air before landing on the asphalt painfully. That was more than enough to make him unconscious.

"What the hell!?" the driver was caught by surprise when a spikey-haired man kicked his handgun away, thus unarming him. "It's you! You're that man who's leading these rebels!" he then called out to the man who had just unarmed him.

The man, who was indeed Lars Alexandersson, only shrugged his shoulders. "You are correct. But we rebels do have a name for your information. It's called Yggdrasil" Lars said before preparing himself for combat. "Were you smart, you would leave this place while its still an option" he then tried to advise his foe to leave.

The driver became agitated by Lars' words. "Over my dead body!" he yelled as he tried to physically fight the Swedish man. But it was futile. Lars was a better fighter than him. A powerful punch to his stomach was more than enough to put the driver out of commission.

With that taken care off, Lars rushed off to the trunk of the Honda, forcefully breaking the lock. As he opened, he watched Lei lying in the crowded space with his hands tied up. The police officer smiled once he saw Lars.

"Lars! I knew there was something familiar with that voice!" Lei exclaimed as he was untied by the Swedish man. Lei got out of the trunk as soon he was freed. "Thanks for saving my hide. I guess this necklace you gave me did come in handy after all" he said while holding onto the necklace Lars had given him.

"I'm glad to see that you're alive, Lei" Lars responded before his expression looked more serious than usual. "But you owe me a big explanation. What were you doing inside that Mishima estate?" he questioned Lei.

The Chinese man's eyes widened. "Woah, so you were nearby while I was in there?" he was dumbfounded.

"Yes. But given how tightly guarded the estate was, it was not possible for us to launch a rescue operation. We had to wait until you were outside the property and out of Heihachi's reach. It was only thanks to that necklace that we were able to track and monitor your whereabouts" Lars explained how he and his men had been following his move.

Lei sighed. "Alright. I guess the cats out of the bag now" he admitted, willing to share with Lars what he had learned. "Believe it or not, Heihachi agreed to let me interview him. He told me his secrets from his own perspective. Heck, I have so much to tell you guys when we get back" he then explained only to see Lars turn around to walk.

"Naturally. But I have already heard some of the secrets, although not from Heihachi but from another source" Lars replied while his men followed him. Lei was quick to catch on. "While you were gone, Wang Jinrei arrived at Violet Systems. And he told us what he had learned through an old diary belonging to my late grandfather Jinpachi" the Swedish man revealed.

"Ah, of course. I had almost forgotten about Master Wang" Lei admitted. "That said, I believe whatever he has told you, it may be a little different from Heihachi's perspective. You won't believe how he tried to paint himself as a victim" the police officer told Lars what he had learned.

"You don't say. I believe you can tell us all what you learned from him when we're back in Kyoto. Follow me into the forest. We parked our car there in hopes of not getting spotted by the Tekken Force's spies or anything else hostile" Lars showed Lei the way to the car.

But the Chinese man was still confused. "Wait! What about those two agents? I got separated from them when those Zaibatsu-lapdogs picked me up so I….." Lei was interrupted by Lars.

"No need to worry. I've been in communication with them. It told them to head back to Kyoto while I took care of bringing you back safely" Lars revealed as he entered the military van.

Lei and the soldier's followed suit. Once everything was in place, they drove out of the woods and onto the main road, heading southwest towards Kyoto. It was imperative that they reached Violet System's HQ this instant.

As he sat in the car to reflect on his recent mission, Lei thought about his recent interview with Heihachi. Not only did he recall how unfair it was for him to experience those events, he also recalled the Mishima Patriarch's mournful look in his eyes. That led him to believe whether or not Heihachi was feeling remorseful over the state of the world. Or perhaps it was due to the loss of his wife. Either way, Lei could not decide which was the case.

"We may not know what Heihachi's next plan is. The same thing goes for Kazuya and the G Corp. But considering this trip, it would be best to lay low for a while. Even as we speak, there are dark forces lurking in the shadows of the ongoing war. They wait their opportunity to strike upon those who most affected by the war. As such, we can't afford to be careless" Lars explained what they would do next.

Lei rested his arms behind his neck while listening. "Yeah. I've been wondering about that myself. But let's just concentrate on getting back to Kyoto. I've had enough of Mishima monkey business for now" he expressed his opinions of his ongoing case.

Lars had to chuckle as he heard that. "Hmmm….that's fine by me" he replied, facing the road ahead of them.

* * *

 _Inside a medical facilitation room, Violet Systems HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

Jin Kazama was still in a coma. So far, neither Lee nor his medics seemed to understand how long he would remain in that state. But they knew as long as he was inside this room, Jin would recuperate faster.

There was no other person inside the room besides Jin. Still, he was protected by security in the nearby hallways. In addition, there were surveillance cameras recording from every angle of the room. There was no way anybody could hope to infiltrate in order to capture or assassinate Jin.

But that was not the case with this unexpected visitor. As Jin was lying on this bed breathing, several steps could be heard near him. Someone was currently in the room with him. The first was a powerful tiger that looked at the unconscious man. But this tiger was accompanied by a youthful-looking woman.

She was none other than Kazumi Mishima, late wife of Heihachi and mother of Kazuya. The tiger accompanying her was Kazumi's trusty companion: Tora. How these two managed to enter this building undetected, nobody would know. Tora growled a little while seeing Jin, yet was calmed down by a stroke on his head by Kazumi.

"Lower your guard, Tora. This one is no threat to us. The condition he is in makes him as such" Kazumi informed the large tiger. He obeyed her commands.

Taking small steps towards Jin, Kazumi smiled as she watched the young man lying on the hospital bed. It was clear she was pleased to see him doing okay, even if he was in a coma. She stopped once she stood by the hospital bed.

"You must be Jin Kazama. My…such a wonderful aura dwelling around you" Kazumi uttered out, addressing Jin by his name. Yes, she knew who he was. "While I have heard about your existence, this is the first time I am laying my eyes upon you. I really regret not meeting you on earlier circumstances. But alas, it feels wonderful to see you…my grandson" she then remarked, getting slightly emotional when referring to Jin as her grandson.

Kazumi tried her best to hold back her tears. The Japanese beauty knew very well that the young man lying before her was her grandson. Nobody knows what had happened to Kazumi and Tora after Heihachi killed them. But legends say that the spirit of a woman and her tiger still roamed the world. It was perhaps due to her powers.

Kazumi's right fingers stroked Jin's spikey hair. "There's no question about it. You are Kazuya's son. Your hair…...it's the same as his. Yet the bangs are not recognizable" she commented on how similar hairstyle Kazuya and Jin had. Kazumi then looked at her grandson's eyebrows. "And I see you have also inherited the Mishima eyebrows. Not only do yours resemble Kazuya's, but also Heihachi's. What a handsome young man you have grown up to be, Jin" she mused to herself in seeing Jin's eyebrows.

But things became less joyful for Kazumi as she caught a glimpse of the black tattoo running across Jin's left arm. She knew what it was. That tattoo was the symbol of the Devil Gene. Seeing it being engraved upon her grandson only brought Kazumi to tears.

"Poor child…..what have I done….." Kazumi stammered sadly.

She knew that with Jin being her grandson, he too would inherit the Devil Gene. It was the same case with Kazuya.

"I know your thoughts. You have become a victim of this endless cycle of hatred running in your family. And I can even see how much resentment you carry towards Kazuya. But you also have a right to carry that towards me as well. I blame myself for not just giving Kazuya this unjust life, but for the suffering I have brought upon you, Jin" Kazumi spoke, sobbing as she actually touched the symbol on Jin's right arm. She never looked away. "You never deserved to live a life with such monstrosity. Nobody was given permission to inflict this curse upon you…not even me. I also know that all the wrongdoings you had done…...was for the sake of ending the Devil's curse" she then realized what her grandson had been through.

Feeling for the pain Jin had experienced even forced Kazumi on to her knees. She continued to sob, her hands clenching themselves onto her white kimono. Tora sat beside his companion, nuzzling Kazumi in order to comfort her. The youth-looking woman greatly appreciated it. She stroked her tiger's whiskers, earning her a purr of appreciation from Tora.

"Thank you, Tora. Its always good to have you by my side. These times have been tougher than I ever expected" Kazumi sadly noted, wiping off the tears from her eyes. To the surprise of Tora, she stood up on her feet, facing her unconscious grandson. "Jin. You may have given up hope…...and I cannot fault you in doing so. But there is something else that makes you exceptional. Unlike Kazuya, you have been defiant enough to stand against the Devil Gene's influencing. That has only made me filled with hope. And that hope….is that this bloodline you and I come from…will one day be purified" she spoke to as if Jin was listening to her.

Not surprisingly, he didn't move a muscle. He remained the same as he had always been since he entered this coma. Still, it didn't stop Kazumi from leaning over his face. She looked down upon him as if she was proud of Jin.

"I have heard about the Kazama clan. Much like the Hachijos, they are no family ordinary human beings. But what separates them from mine, is that they are a clan that are masters in spiritual purification. That makes me believe you can end this curse, Jin. And not by destroying the bloodline, but by purifying it. While you will stumble upon challenges, you will make it through" Kazumi spoke of how hopeful she was for Jin.

She put her hands on her grandson's shoulders. Yet even a touch was not enough to wake Jin from his coma. He remained still as if nothing was bothering him.

"Even now, I know that Kazuya is only become more stronger and a greater threat to our world. And he is not the only one. Many other foes of old will reemerge to bring chaos to this world. That is why we must act. But sadly, even I am not powerful enough to stop Kazuya. And once he learns the truth, he will reject and hate me the same way he does with Heihachi" the woman seemed quite concerned over her son growing in power.

Kazumi had observed Kazuya and his Devil Gene. As much as it terrified her, she realized that the son she had once cherished and loved, was no longer the same thing. He was now the Devil, both in body and in soul.

"But I believe, you are the only one capable of standing against him, Jin. And I understand how you are still struggling to find who you are. Therefore, I will do anything to assist your progress. I will grant you the greatest gift a grandmother has ever given: empowerment to dominate your inner demon" she told Jin, face to face.

Without even hesitating, Kazumi planted a wonderful kiss upon Jin's forehead. Clearly, this kiss was no ordinary one. It was a bestowment of power. Obviously, Kazumi was willing to lend some of her own to Jin. She was entrusting her grandson to put a stop to whatever chaos that threatened to tear the world apart. And not just that, Kazumi was also willing to let Jin learn about how to control his Devil Gene. She had to.

Once she was finished kissing, Kazumi smiled as she watched her grandson. "There. I know that this will not make up for the injustice you have experienced in your life. But I will now correct my mistakes, starting by helping you grow, Jin Kazama" Kazumi explained.

While standing up, Tora had curiously started to glance at Jin. He even leaned up close to smell and see what Jin looked like in terms of appearance.

Kazumi giggled in seeing this. "Tora. Please don't do this to him now" she begged him while stroking his fur. "You just have to wait when he has awakened. Then you will get a chance to truly meet Jin" the former wife of Heihachi told her pet tiger.

Tora obeyed his companion, yet he started to growl towards someone entering the room. Kazumi turned around to see who it was that had entered. It was another spirit, yet that of a venerated and honorable man. Seeing him immediately made Kazumi bow her head in all formality. Tora ceased his aggressiveness.

"It is almost time, Kazumi" it was Jinpachi Mishima. The old man smiled beneath his long beard. "You must continue your journey to find that woman…...the same woman you once rescued from an evil deity" the former Mishima Patriarch spoke.

"Of course, father. I will be on my way shortly. But please, just let me say goodbye to this young man I never had the chance to see" Kazumi pleaded to her former father-in-law.

Jinpachi's smile never faded away. "Of course. There is no way that I will deny you that right. After all, this young man once saved me from living an afterlife of torment. I owe my freedom to him" he told Kazumi. "With all darkness that has been on the rise lately, we need someone able to stand against them. We will need Jin Kazama…as he will need us" the elderly man went on explaining.

Kazumi firmly nodded her head in agreement. Realizing that it would be a long time before she could set her eyes upon him, Kazumi faced her grandson one last time. She even levitated her right hand above the symbol on Jin's left arm.

"I am sorry, Jin. But I must be going now. While I really wish I could have stayed with you longer, I know that we will meet again eventually. And remember that I will always be watching over you. Until then, a fond farewell…my dear grandson. May your journey of destiny take you to what you desire" she then said before she and Tora disappeared from sight by following the spirit of Jinpachi.

Jin remained motionless, as if he hadn't been affected by the kiss. But as he was alone in the room, something odd happened to his sleeping expression. The frown, which he had always had since he entered this coma, slowly turned upside down. Jin was literally smiling weakly. Whether he had heard or listened to what his grandmother had told him, was still disputable. All things considered, he now had the ability to master an control the powers of his Devil Gene.

* * *

 _Inside the ruins of the Mishima Dojo, in the Japanese countryside_

Ever since challenging his son to a fight to the death, Heihachi had been sitting in the ruined Mishima Dojo all by himself. He was sitting onto his knees, not minding the bright moonlight that shined upon him through the hole on the rooftop. Winds were blowing through his outfit, yet the Mishima Patriarch did not feel an ounce of cold.

Heihachi was in deep thought. He had done the most unexpected thing by revealing the truth of the Mishima feud to an Interpol-agent. The old man had to reflect on why he had done that. Was it to rebuild trust in the international community by painting himself as a victim? Or had he done that just to make sure people were educated before rushing to judge him as a warmonger? Either way, Heihachi was no longer interested in rebuild such friendships. He knew what had to be done to Kazuya.

He and Kazuya would fight their last battle in the crater of Puʻu ʻŌʻō on Hawaii. And it there would be no ties or forfeits. The true victor would be left standing, while the loser…...would die in shame. Heihachi knew that the upcoming battle would perhaps be his toughest, even tougher than the duel he had with Revenant inside the dojo. And it was either him or Kazuya who would emerge out of the volcano a victor.

The Mishima Patriarch understood in how powerful Kazuya had grown since their last fight. And there was no question that his son would eventually transform into his Devil-form. But that very thought had only encouraged Heihachi to take his stand. He had battled devilish creatures before. Fighting Kazuya would be no different.

As he kept thinking about his upcoming battle, Heihachi knew that he would still face Kazuya as a normal human being. That no longer mattered. Over the years, he had sought to become immortal in order to stand against the Devil Gene. He had craved more power like a deranged madman, which had resulted him in trying to get it from Ogre, Angel and Revenant. But that Heihachi was long gone now.

Indeed, a new Heihachi had been formed…...or pretty much returned. It was a Heihachi that still wanted global domination, yet would not resort to past misguided methods. He would face Kazuya with his own strength and power, the one he had trained his entire life to sustain. Heihachi had also not forgotten who he was. He was a Mishima: a warrior who would fight to his last breath. Such was the way of his clan. The old man realized how his desperate quest for immortality had made him disregard the values of the Mishima clan. Admittedly, it felt embarrassing.

But now, Heihachi would correct his wrongs. However, it was not in the way most people saw it. He still viewed himself as a victim of an unjust conspiracy. And he also no longer desired to embrace concepts such as love and compassion. They had been dead to him for a long time.

While he had disavowed such ideas, there was still something that plagued Heihachi's mind. He was sitting right next to the drawing he had made on the floorboard, the one where his and Kazumi's names were written in the style of Aiaigasa. As much as Heihachi wanted to forget them, he could never wash away the good memories he had with his late wife.

"Kazumi…" the name came out of the old man's mouth as he was on the verge of tears.

Even though he had killed her, Heihachi still loved Kazumi with all his heart. The fact that his life had been ruined because of a mere prophecy had only enraged him. There was only one way that Heihachi could forget about that tragic night: ending the lives of Kazuya and Jin. Both men were spawns of Kazumi's cursed bloodline. If he killed them, he would be purified from his past sins. That is why Heihachi was willing to do this. Put an end to not just the current war…but also the feud in this family as well. No matter how much he felt doubtful about his victory, Heihachi didn't care.

"A fight is about who is left standing. Nothing else" Heihachi repeated something he had learned from his late father as a child. Being trained by Jinpachi had taught him how to act and prepare himself as a warrior. But Heihachi was now hoping to surpass his father as a warrior. He would prove that by defeating his demonic son in combat.

After sitting still with his eyes closed in order to prepare himself for what was perhaps his final battle, Heihachi finally opened his eyes. They look mournful, yet carried determination within them. He took one last glance at the drawing below him.

"It is time to finish this. I will no longer let my past haunt me. Whatever fate awaits me…...I welcome it" Heihachi said to himself, slowly getting up on his feet. His powerful hands clenched tightly. "I am a Mishima. I was born to fight, not to love. And if I was born a warrior, I will die a warrior. Such….is what fate is meant to be" he then confessed, starting to take his role as a Mishima serious.

With that being said, the Mishima Patriarch left the dojo. He was heading towards a nearby helicopter that was waiting to pick him up. Heihachi would then fight Kazuya in one of the world's most hellish places…...and only one victor could emerge alone.

And so, the final confrontation between father and son…had begun to take root.

 _To be continued…_


	39. Choose Your Fight

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 39: Choose Your Fight**

 _In the Shadow Coliseum, underneath Kyoto, Japan_

This hidden Shadow Coliseum was the hangout for this movement calling itself the Resistance. Its leaders had remained there ever since an alliance of convenience was formed between the Resistance and the Acolytes of Pluton. While the majority of the four leaders was very reluctant in doing this, one man, Taiga Miyagi saw this as a necessary compromise. After all, the Resistance alone was no match against the military might of the Mishima Zaibatsu or the G Corporation.

Right now, quick meeting was taking place in the Shadow Coliseum. Isaak Lichtenfeld and Rumi Kusakabe had returned home safely with lots of news to share with Taiga and Hu Yue. Taiga was stunned, yet Yue was outraged in what she heard.

"Are you serious!?" Yue snapped, facing her fellow leaders with a scowl. "You say that old goat Wang Jinrei is here in Kyoto!?" she then demanded a straight answer.

Neither Isaak nor Rumi could understand this level of rage Yue bore towards this old man. After all, they had yet to know the exact details of this grudge.

"Yeah! It was him! An old, wrinkled Chinese dude wearing some old clothes and a weird hat" Rumi insisted to her friend.

Yue erupted into rage. "DAMNIT!" she exclaimed while slamming har handprints on the table. "And just when I thought I would never get to see him again!" Yue then exclaimed, grumbling as she thought about the man she despised.

"Geez, what's gotten you all fired up? Did that geezer break your toys or something?" Isaak wanted to better understand Yue's rage.

"You don't understand, Isaak!" Yue barked, soon facing the table as if she was reminiscing about the past. "He never saw me for the great student I was! Despite me being more dedicated and focused than that dimwit Xiaoyu, she always favored her more!" the Chinese girl revealed the reason for her resentment towards Wang.

But Yue's anger was calmed when Taiga put a reassuring hand on her right shoulder. The Japanese man wanted her to know that she was not alone in this.

"At ease, Yue. While I understand your rage towards that man, it is best saved when you face him in combat" Taiga encouraged her.

Yue reflected on her comrade's words, yet she shrugged off Taiga's grip on her shoulder. Regardless, she seemed more composed than she was seconds ago. That only convinced Taiga to ask his other friends about their meeting with Wang.

"And none of you discovered Wang Jinrei's reasons for being here in Japan?" the Japanese man questioned Isaak and Rumi.

"Like we said earlier, we just wanted to get back here as quick as possible! Mind you, we were getting harassed by that drunken Spaniard from the other day. And from what I can remember, he and that geezer seemed to know each other before" the Israeli man pointed out.

Rumi scoffed at his words. "Well, duh! They were obviously in the tournament together!" she rebuked him. But something hit in her head when she said that. "However, there must be another reason for him appearing here. And mind you, Wang Jinrei is no ordinary martial artist. That guy's a celebrity in the fighting world" Rumi told Taiga as he listened.

The Japanese man weakly nodded his head in agreement. "Of course. And something tells me that he knows about everything…including our recent meeting with the Acolytes of Pluton" Taiga suspected, trying to come up with a hypothesis.

"Well, it could be. Word is that he seeks to align himself with the Tekken Force rebels. Perhaps they plan on taking on the Zaibatsu together" Isaak noted.

This caused Taiga to scowl. His friends could see how a cold fury was slightly starting to take hold upon him.

"Such a fool. What could he possibly hope to gain by siding with former murderers? Clearly Wang Jinrei must have a poor sense of judgement" Taiga was dismayed in hearing what Wang had done.

"You got that right!" Yue joined in, fully agreeing with Taiga. "That weak-minded idiot is always known to hypocritically disregard his ideas" she didn't hold back on expressing her resentment towards her former master.

"Now, now. That's a bit too harsh for you to say about Wang Jinrei" all the leaders of the resistance stood on their guard as a result of a familiar voice being heard. It was clear to them they are not alone in this room. Soon, the one who had said those words emerged out of the shadowy corner. His presence slightly brought chills to their spines. "After all, you were alongside Ling Xiaoyu, his most esteemed students. Isn't that too rough of you to say, Hu Yue?" it came from Revenant, the mysterious leader of the Acolytes of Pluton.

All four leaders were completely shocked by Revenant's sudden appearance. Yue gritted her teeth in slight anger at what he had said to her. "Shut up, you ugly son of a….." she was interrupted when Taiga stood before her.

"How long have you been standing there, Revenant? Or perhaps more importantly, how did you get in?" Taiga questioned him, feeling very suspicious towards the cultist.

The hooded man with the mask took small steps towards them. "Rest easy, Taiga Miyagi. I was in this room long before you and your compatriots entered. Besides, there is no reason for you to feel threatened at my presence. We are allies" Revenant said like it was not big of a deal.

"Allies my ass! If we're considered such, then you sure as hell don't appear here without letting us know!" Isaak hit back, feeling very agitated.

"On that there is no question, Isaak Lichtenfeld. But rest assured, I have nothing to hide from you. In fact, came here to share some news with you" Revenant revealed.

Isaak crossed his arms with a huff. "Tch, yeah right!" he rudely responded, only to be nudged on his right hip by Rumi. She did not like the kind of attitude he was displaying.

Taiga decided to change the subject. "You say you have some news to share with us. Explain" the Japanese man spoke up, still feeling unwilling to trust Revenant fully.

"Very well. I have come here to deliver you news about our enemies' next move. A duel to the death has been declared between Heihachi Mishima and Kazuya Mishima. They are to fight in the crater of Puʻu ʻŌʻō on Hawaii" Revenant began the first phase of his revelation. "Moreover, the forces of the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation will clash nearby at Kīlauea. It will be a battlefield that will determine who wins this ongoing war" the cultist added.

The leaders of the Resistance were stunned to hear what Revenant had told him. It was where the forces of their enemies would clash next. And it was on an island in the middle of the Pacific.

"Are you for real? Why in the world would Heihachi and Kazuya be fighting in Puʻu ʻŌʻō? That place is a living hell. It's not suitable environment to have a duel" Rumi expressed her astonishment.

"Rumi's right. And it's not just Puʻu ʻŌʻō. Hawaii is crawling with active volcanos that can erupt without precaution" Yue agreed with her friend.

"Not to mention that the militaries of the Zaibatsu and the G Corp are planning on marching upon Kīlauea. Do those guys even realize how dangerous and suicidal that is? If that volcano was to erupt, none of them would have managed to escape from the molten tide" Isaak joined in on the conversation.

Revenant had taken notice of what they were saying. "I agree with your sentiments. But bear in mind that both sides are now determined to end this war. The upcoming duel between Heihachi and Kazuya only proves it. At the outcome, only one of them will be left standing" he informed them.

"And you are certain that Hawaii will be their battleground?" Taiga wanted some clear answers.

The hooded cultist nodded his head as a yes. "Certain as ever, Taiga Miyagi. Even as we speak, my scouts have informed me about the two Mishimas leaving their respective headquarters for Hawaii. And not only that. Ships, submarines and planes are all heading towards the same direction. That only confirms my hypothesis that the battle will take place on that island" Revenant informed them.

"It's a shame, really. Those bastards are willing to use a tropical paradise such as Hawaii for their own amusement. Obviously, it's gonna be one hell of a battle" Rumi remarked from hearing the revelation.

"Indeed, Rumi Kusakabe. But this upcoming will also be a perfect opportunity to strike at both Heihachi and Kazuya while they are distracted" the cultist suddenly revealed.

None of the leaders of the Resistance seemed to grasp what Revenant was trying to tell them. However, Taiga had slowly managed to puzzle the picture. He understood what the cultist was seeking, let alone what he wanted to achieve by giving him and his comrades this revelation.

"I assume that you have plans for them. And by that, you and your cult seek use the battle to bring death to both Mishimas" Taiga spoke up, much to the surprise of his friends. "And judging by you giving us this information, you must have come here to seek our assistance. Is that correct?" the Japanese man was very perceptive.

A chuckle could be heard underneath Revenant's mask. "You catch on pretty quick. I salute your observation" Revenant commended the Karate fighter before continuing on. "As you and your friends have figured out, bringing an army to Hawaii is fruitless. But if only you have a strong small group who are to kill two people, there is a chance. That is why have come here to offer you a place in my mission to end those two Mishimas" the cultist continued.

Rumi immediately rose up from her seat. "Are you out of your mind!?" she couldn't believe what Revenant was saying. "We do wanna get those two and all, but chasing them all down into Puʻu ʻŌʻō is both risky and suicidal! Only madmen would do something like that!" the Japanese woman did not hide her opposition.

"Yeah! It's not worth throwing your life away! Besides, let those two bastards get taken by the lava. They'll die there for sure" Isaak joined Rumi in voicing opposition to this offer.

Revenant remained unfazed at their words. So far, he had not used any of his powers to silence them. But he didn't need to, as Taiga and Yue both stood up and approached him. Both Isaak and Rumi were outraged, seeing this as an acceptance of the offer.

"Hold on…Taiga….Yue…" Isaak was at loss for words.

"Just what in the world do you think you're…." Rumi was interrupted by angry voice of Yue.

"Shut up, you damn drunkards!" the Chinese girl held no pleasantry in her voice. "If you two spent much time following the events as you spent boozing yourselves, you might have gotten a better understanding to what's at stake here!" Yu reprimanded her comrades.

Isaak didn't like her tone. "Now you listen here, missy! You better…" the Israeli man was stopped by Taiga giving him a disapproving glance. Because of that, he withdrew his criticism.

Meanwhile, Revenant faced both Taiga and Yue. "I can assure both you and your friends that our mission will be a success. With a small group of powerful fighters such as us, we will be able to outmaneuver enemy armies. And while they fight amongst themselves, we will enter Puʻu ʻŌʻō and end the two Mishimas for good" the cultist went on indulging the leaders of the Resistance.

"I would've taken the offer if I were either one of you" the leaders snapped when a female vampire with two horns entered the room. It was Eliza, the mysterious woman who craved blood. "You won't be getting another chance in taking on Kazuya and Heihachi. Haven't you ever thought about your movement?" she then went on questioning them.

Revenant sighed as he glanced over his shoulder to look at Eliza. "Did I not tell you to wait for me above ground? You're trying my patience, Eliza" he expressed his dismay and annoyance.

"I don't recall ever taking orders from you. What I do, I do it for myself" Eliza said, licking her lips for some reason. "That being said, I can't wait till we arrive at Hawaii. Lots of blood to drink and corpses to feast upon. But the best course of all, is that I get to taste demon blood" the vampire felt so much satisfaction building within her.

The leaders of the Resistance were somewhat disgusted by Eliza's antics. But it was no surprising, given her being a vampire. The only thing that was uncommon was her narcolepsy.

Taiga, who knew what he and his friends had to do, faced Revenant with a wary expression. "Very well. Since you came here seeking our aid, we will answer it. Therefore, we will accompany you to Hawaii" the Japanese man explained plainly.

Not only was Yue the only leader to respond. This time, both Isaak and Rumi did the same thing as well. They stood at Taiga's side, signifying their undying loyalty to their friend. But based upon the expression of Isaak and Rumi, they seemed slightly reluctant to go with this plan.

"But know this! Should you dare stab each of us in the back, the consequences will fall upon you! Are we clear, Revenant?" Taiga demanded a response.

Revenant could see how the Karate fighter was willing to test out the merit of their "alliance". Yet despite being met with such suspicion, he continued to play cool with Taiga and his friends.

"Absolutely" Revenant assured them, although this pleasantry of his seemed very off. "And believe me, what we are doing now, we do it for the Earth and its people. Because of the international community's incompetence, only we have the ability to end this war" the cultist then continued explaining how united they were.

Neither Taiga nor his friends seemed to fully trust his words, yet they understood how right Revenant was. Defeating either Heihachi or Kazuya rested upon their shoulders. They would not let that opportunity slip away.

* * *

 _At Haneda International Airport, Tokyo, Japan_

With the entire country under lockdown, the Mishima Zaibatsu had seized complete control over the country. They made sure that everything was being controlled, including what went in and what went out. In addition to that, they had placed many of Japan's public enterprises under their thumb. The country's airports were among them.

The Zaibatsu had turned Haneda Airport into a military base. It was from there the Tekken Force would load up all weapons, vehicles and personal in their advanced cargo aircraft. They also had their warplanes ready, from jet fighters to stealth fighters. The entire runaway was heavily guarded and the Tekken Force would not let in anyone. It was for a good reason.

The Zaibatsu was preparing for war. And for the battle on Hawaii, they would need all the necessary equipment. Not only would they need it to stand against their G Corporation enemies, they also needed it so scare off the US Army stationed on the Hawaiian Islands. Both sides knew that US military presence on the islands were weak compared to the mainland.

"Make sure all weapons are transported! We'll be leaving Japan as soon as the tanks, APCs and other vehicles are onboard" a soldier of the Tekken Force commanded his subordinates.

As he along with many others were striving to make sure preparations were ready, a cargo plane was about to takeoff. It was very enormous, yet given the airstrip's size and space, managed to fly into the air without any problems.

Onboard that cargo plane, vehicles and large crates of supplies could be seen along with soldiers of the Tekken Force readying their gear. Amidst this, a captain was having a conversation with two of his subordinates.

"How long till we reach Hawaii?" the first soldier asked his captain.

"Probably for a day. And mind you, we're not the ones flying to those islands. I can tell that cargo planes and jet fighters from the G Corp are making their move as we speak" the captain replied.

"Yeah, I agree. Speaking of which, our battleships will probably enter a naval battle with their battleships along the way. I mean, doesn't their fleet sail from Southeast Asia or something?" the other soldier wondered out of curiosity.

"Probably. But we don't need worrying about the sea dogs, soldier. We're in the air, so their strategy is none of our concern" the captain reminded him. "From what I gather, both the boss and Commander Kuma will travel there by helicopter. But I'm not sure whether they will reach the islands before we do" he then began pondering.

"Either way, this upcoming battle's going to be regretful, seriously. I mean, this is Hawaii we're talking about! It's a paradise over there! Couldn't the boss have picked a much uglier place to have this battle?" the first soldier complained.

His comrade was dumbfounded. "Are you stupid? We'll be going to the island where there are active volcanoes waiting to erupt. That to me, is not what I would've called a "paradise". And guess where the boss is heading specifically…the crater of Puʻu ʻŌʻō. Only the wackiest nutjobs pick their fights at places like that" the second soldier rebuked his comrade.

The first soldier huffed while looking away. "Whatever…" he said as if he was not fazed.

Unbeknownst to all these soldiers, someone had been sneaking aboard on the cargo plane. It was a group of four people that had hidden themselves in a place where they knew nobody would go searching. They were hiding inside the stowaways. This group consisted of Master Raven, Nina Williams, Yoshimitsu and Raven. Somehow, they had been able to infiltrate the airstrip and gotten onboard the cargo plane without getting noticed.

Lucky for them, the stowaways were large enough to house them. That is why they felt they could stay there for the time being.

"Alright. It looks as if none of the Tekken Force spotted us. That means we're clear to hide hear without getting caught" Raven informed his superior.

"Then that means our infiltration was a success" Master Raven spoke in a satisfied tone.

Nina, however, had a completely different mindset to it. "I still don't understand. Why have you decided to board a plane all of a sudden?" the assassin questioned the two agents sternly.

"Didn't you hear what they said? This plane will take us to the place where the Zaibatsu and the G Corp's battle will be determined: Hawaii" Raven informed Nina, yet she was still not following him.

"Which means both Heihachi and Kazuya will be there as well" Yoshimitsu spoke up, brandishing his sword in the process. "However, I doubt that we will be the only ones interested in this upcoming battle" the swordsman then revealed his concerns.

Master Raven nodded in agreement. "Of that, there is no question. There is this alliance calling itself L'ordine. Under the leadership of the Archers of Sirius, they will undoubtedly seek to capture Kazuya. Then there is also this mysterious group of cultists: the Acolytes of Pluton" the black-skinned woman began reminiscing of whatever foes they were up against.

"Have you informed Lars and Lee about our objectives?" Raven questioned her.

"I have, indeed. And I recommended that they send a group of capable fighters to Hawaii this instant. While I'm uncertain about who will come, there is no question in my mind that Wang Jinrei will be one of them" Master Raven answered her subordinate.

Nina raised an eyebrow. "But why in the world would that old man be traveling to something as dangerous as Kīlauea? Men like him should not be wasting time in such dangerous environments" the assassin was doubtful about Wang's condition.

Yoshimitsu faced her. "You underestimate the revered master, Nina Williams. He has been in fights longer than you have been assassinating targets for a living" he took a swipe at Nina and her profession, earning a death glare from the blonde-haired woman.

"Speak for yourself! If there is one I don't need, it's being lectured by a petty thief such as you" Nina hit back, her cold hostility on full display.

"You be silent, assassin!" the swordsman hit back, feeling the urge to draw his weapon. Yet somehow, he kept his cool.

"Calm yourselves. There is plenty of time for you to hate each other afterwards" Master Raven reprimanded both Yoshimitsu and Nina. "For now, we wait here until we're near Hawaii. This cargo plane is planning on dropping reinforcements upon the island. We will infiltrate one of the vehicles before they start" she explained their next move.

Raven crossed his arms as he listened. "So that's how we'll proceed? The only question is what we will do once we've landed on ground. Remember, we're entering the middle of a battlefield. Dodging bullets and landmines will not be easy if we are to reach Puʻu ʻŌʻō. Then there's also the risk for eruption" the man with sunglasses pointed out.

"Your subordinate speaks the truth" Yoshimitsu chimed in. "And if lucky, we will be able to make sure both Heihachi and Kazuya are brought to justice. They will not escape from after, especially after what they have done" the swordsman expressed his desire to capture the two Mishimas in order to end the ongoing war.

Nina sighed deeply. "Fair enough. I just hope that something good will come out of all this nonsense" the Irishwoman expressed her irritation before closing her eyes.

It didn't take long before the others did that as well. For now, they would be resting. They would awake when the cargo plane was nearing Hawaii.

* * *

 _At the harbor of Sendai, Japan_

Things were stirring up at the harbor of the northern city of Sendai. A superyacht was docked and it was ready to leave the harbor at any moment. This superyacht was enormous, and it even had a helipad. But the most important detail was the people onboard this luxury vehicle. All over the superyacht, men dressed in white with beak-like masks stood in guard. These were exorcists of the Archers of Sirius. And that could only mean one thing.

The Archers of Sirius owned that superyacht and it housed their leader Claudio Serafino. Also onboard was his "allies" in the alliance of convenience called L'ordine. Bryan Fury, Feng Wei, Armor King, Sergei Dragunov, Shaheen, Kunimitsu and Zafina had been told by the exorcist where they would be heading next. And they would use this superyacht to reach their destination. But Claudio had not told them were they would be traveling.

As quick everything was set, the yacht was leaving Sendai. It continued driving into the open sea starting a voyage in the enormous Pacific Oceanm

Right now, Claudio was treating his guests to some drinks in one of the yacht's many rooms. It actually had its own meeting room. But it became clear to the members of L'ordine that the exorcist had motives for bringing them together, let alone drag them on this voyage. And it was not about pleasure, considering that a map of the Pacific Ocean was lying in the middle between them.

"Now then. I trust that each of you find this yacht to your liking. Because you could have use for its comfort for the time being" Claudio spoke to his "friends".

None of the people surrounding him seemed pleased with Claudio's attempt to play friendly. They each faced him with frowns and suspicious glances.

"Explain yourself" Feng spoke up, his dragon-like eyes fixated upon the exorcist. "Why have you decided to take us out for a trip on the seas? All this luxury you offer cannot mask your intent" the Chinese Kenpo master questioned Claudio.

"Calmati, Feng Wei. I have only given you this luxury to savor the stress" the exorcist revealed before the expression on his face turned into that of a smug one. "After all, there is a battle awaiting us far beyond the seas" he revealed, much to the confusion of his cohorts.

"A battle? What are you talking about?" Shaheen wanted some clear answers.

"I grow impatient with these foolish misadventures of yours, exorcista!" Armor King expressed his frustration with what he had gone through since joining L'rodine. "You better have a good reason this time" the masked luchador did not hide his resentment.

Claudio could see that his allies were getting weary of whatever shenanigans he had dragged them into. Still, he knew that they would be more than tempted to join him this time.

"Speak before you make me draw my kunai" Kunimitsu started threatening him.

But Claudio was far from intimidated and proceeded to continue. "Bene. All of you want to know the reason. I will gladly fill you in on where we will be going next" the Italian man expressed his enthusiasm before turning his attention to the map. His cohorts were following where his finger was pointing at. "Our next stop is Hawaii. We are specifically heading towards the area called Kīlauea. The reason? The armies of the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation will collide there" he revealed their destination.

"Hawaii?" Bryan sounded incredibly dumbfounded when he learned about where they were going. "What is this? Are we going on some kind of a vacation? I'm not the type of guy to be walking around saying "aloha" every damn time" the pale-skinned man expressed his disgust with the notion.

"Clearly you did not follow me. There is an upcoming battle taking place on Hawaii between our enemies. You know what that means, don't you, Bryan Fury?" Claudio made sure he understood the point.

Hearing this made Bryan grin sadistically. "Ah of course! That means there will be lots of missiles and gunshots flying all over the place! Hell yeah, I'm in!" the cyborg exclaimed his lust for battle.

None of his compatriots understood Bryan's love for wars, not even Dragunov, who was military man himself.

"Clearly there must be a specific reason for us heading to Hawaii" Zafina spoke up before glancing at Claudio. "You wouldn't have dragged us into the middle of a warzone unless there was something of value to capture. Isn't that right?" she didn't hide her suspicion.

A smirk crept on Claudio's face. "You catch on pretty quick, signora" he remarked before directing his attention to the map once again. "Yes. You see, my scouts within the Tekken Force have informed me about Heihachi challenging Kazuya to a fight to the death. They will have it at the crater of Puʻu ʻŌʻō. While their armies are distracted with destroying each other, we will sneak upon that volcano and rout them out before they even realize" Claudio explained what he was going with this.

Every member of L'ordine was surprised to hear what Claudio's plan was. Yet some of them was confused, especially Shaheen.

"Why are we suddenly going after Kazuya. If I recall correctly, you said his son Jin Kazama had the potentiality to be more powerful and dangerous than him" Shaheen wanted to know why the sudden change in Claudio's goal.

"You are correct. I did say that" Claudio remarked, yet he was not done yet. "However, I have reason to believe that Jin may not be as much of a threat as he is currently. What my contacts inside the Zaibatsu also discovered is that he is currently in a coma under the protection of the Tekken Force rebels. But they have not managed to find out his whereabouts as well" he answered while facing everyone.

"So that means we'll be going after Kazuya now, given you have discovered where he will head next?" Kunimitsu questioned him.

"Precisely, kunoichi" the exorcist replied.

Bryan snorted as he heard all this talk. "Bah! I could give a rat's ass about those Mishimas. What really excites me is that I will be able to be in a battle on a volcanic island. Boy, how more fun can it possibly get?" he was feeling very excited.

Shaheen was dismayed by Bryan's bloodlust. "Poor excuse for a human being. War is something that no one takes pleasure of" the Saudi Arabian man rebuked the cyborg.

"Tch, up yours, sheik" Bryan rudely responded to him.

This only stoked the anger inside Shaheen's mind. Still, he remained calm. "I advise you to refrain from calling me such, demented warmonger. Truth be told, I am just a humble man working for a private company. Titles such as that does not fit my description" he coldly explained to Bryan.

"And that reminds me. Shaheen, wasn't Kazuya the one who killed the leader of this private company? I understand you and him were friends" Claudio reminded him about what Kazuya had done in the past.

"Yes. He did" Shaheen responded as he specifically turned his gaze upon Claudio. "But know this, exorcist. You will not use my grief and sorrow as a tool to your own amusement. Kazuya must be stopped, but not for the sake of vengeance" he wanted Claudio to know that fact.

"Certamente" the exorcist assured him.

"But what if there are other than us who seeks to apprehend Kazuya?" everyone turned their attention to Zafina, as she had been the one to ask that question. "You have told us about these Acolytes of Pluton. Isn't there a possibility that they could be heading towards Hawaii as well?" she pressed on.

So far, those sitting around her seemed to be in some form of agreement with what she said.

"She is not wrong" Armor King spoke in agreement of Zafina. "Considering the presence of Kazuya and Heihachi, these cultists would without a doubt show up" the masked luchador expressed his opinions.

"And considering their duel takes place in a volcano and away from their armies, there is no question that they will use the situation to their advantage" Kunimitsu chimed in.

Claudio listened to the input his allies were giving him. "I salute your words of wisdom. It is true that these Acolytes of Pluton can become a headache to our plans" the Italian man explained, yet he was feeling so smug in doing that. "Nevertheless, the Archers of Sirius will stand up to their challenge. That I can promise you. But I also have one last thing I would like to tell you" Claudio continued, still trying to earn their trust.

Shaheen was confused. "What is it you want to tell us this time? Speak quickly" he spoke with slight irritation in his voice.

"I can see that you are all getting tired of being dragged into this hunt. And I can fully understand your frustration. That is why I am pleased to inform you about what happens next when we capture Kazuya. L'ordine will thereby be disbanded" the exorcist revealed, much to the surprise of everyone.

"Huh? Are you being for real?" Bryan wondered.

"You mean to tell us that once Kazuya is captured, we will each go our separate ways?" Kunimitsu was somewhat displeased when she heard this sudden revelation. The redhead's lips curled into a scowl. "You ungrateful bastard! That's not what we agreed on! What about your promise to assist our personal goals!?" she didn't hold back her rage.

Claudio shrugged his shoulders. "I have not forgotten that, signora. And let me clarify what I meant. Disbanding L'ordine does not mean that I will simply erase the debts I owe you. Yes, I am more than willing to assist you with whatever your personal objectives are. All that I wish to end is this alliance of ours" he tried to explain what he really meant by disbanding the group.

So far, none of the members had dared speak their mind against Claudio's wishes. Truth be told, they simply wanted the same thing. They had grown weary of these hunting trips the exorcist had taken.

Armor King rose up from his seat and walked away. "All this talk has only made me tired. But I am in favor of the disbandment of this alliance of convenience" the masked luchador said before heading towards the door. "I am going to sleep. And I suggest you do the same thing. Dulces sueños" he said before exiting the room.

Not surprisingly, Claudio did the same thing. "Then I guess that concludes this meeting. Let us rest for tonight and the next day, friends. We will need all the energy for the upcoming battle" the Italian man said before he exited the room.

One by one, the members of L'ordine went to their separate cabins. Given the yacht's enormous size, it housed plenty of fancy bedrooms only millionaires would have the luxury of using. But now, they were being used by fighters from different backgrounds.

Zafina was in her own cabin, deciding to open up the nearby balcony door in order to get some fresh air. She stood out there on deck, watching the moon lighting the ocean. There was wind blowing, and her long hair was let out. Still, such meant nothing for the Egyptian woman.

She was currently in deep thought as she watched how the yacht kept moving through the sea. So far, the waves were relatively small and the air was smooth.

"I cannot help but to wonder whether a yacht is strong enough to last a trip to Hawaii. After all, there is no telling whether a storm will come or not" Zafina noted, still feeling the wind blowing.

"A beautiful night, isn't it?" the assassin snapped as she looked to her right on the deck. Claudio was standing there, the Italian man even taking his eyes upon the moonlight in the ocean. "Sailing the seas during night is completely different than during the day" he remarked, his gaze never leaving sight of the ocean.

Zafina looked over to him in a slight suspicious manner. "What are you doing out here? I was under the impression that you were asleep in that antique cabin of yours" she asked.

Claudio let out a chuckle as if it was not bothering him. "Come now, this yacht is owned by the Archers of Sirius. Therefore, I must sometimes go in patrol during the night to make sure there are no stowaways onboard" he answered Zafina.

The Egyptian woman curled her lips into a smirk. "Nice impression. But I am more than capable of defending myself. I once defeated a foreign mercenary army singlehandedly" Zafina pointed out, realizing how Claudio was trying to impress her.

The exorcist was smiling. "Of course. I know all about this "tribe" of yours, Zafina" Claudio said, yet he seemed to have more in store for her. "And the fact that you are guarding that demon Azazel" he suddenly revealed.

"Guarding? Clearly you have not followed through the latest events, exorcist" Zafina was dumbfounded by Claudio's statement. "Azazel was defeated by Jin Kazama during the previous tournament. Thanks to him, that monster no longer lives in this world. And it is for the best" she tried correcting him.

But for some reason, Claudio didn't seem convinced. "Are you certain of that, signora?" he questioned the young woman. Before firmly grabbing Zafina's left hand, which seemed to be completely bandaged. "Because THIS tells me a different story" he then said before starting to rip off some of the bandages.

Zafina was in shock. Her left hand, which had been bandaged since she entered the recent tournament was on full display. The hand looked deformed, almost as if it had been corrupted and tainted by a terrible curse. It had the same skin and color as that of Azazel.

Claudio's eyes widened in astonishment. "So the rumors were true after all" he said before facing the Egyptian woman. "Azazel still lives…within your left hand" he could not believe in what he was seeing.

Zafina angrily swatted away Claudio's grip and stood ready for combat. "Stand back! You have no business exposing my…...ARGH!" she suddenly felt pain in her deformed hand.

The exorcist knew what was at stake. Without hesitating, he used his mysterious power and light to ease Zafina's pain. Not only did he do that, he also calmed down the powerful entity living within her hand. Zafina stood and watched as Claudio managed to keep Azazel at bay.

"Begone demon! The light of Sirius smites upon you!" Claudio exclaimed.

As soon as she was calmed, Zafina quickly bandaged her deformed hand as quickly as she could. Claudio helped her in any way. Still, things between them were far from friendly.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zafina sneered before shoving the exorcist away from her. "Why did you remove the bandages!? Can you not see why it is that I need to wear them!?" she was furious with him.

Even as he was getting scolded at, Claudio remained calm. "You would never have the need to if you had not touched Azazel's Orb" the Italian man reprimanded her. "What reason could you possibly have for carrying such…monstrosity!?" he wanted to know more.

Zafina was angry, yet she knew how someone like him deserved some answers. "You understand nothing! Outsiders like you do not know Azazel's power better than my people! If you thought that Azazel himself was powerful, then you are only mistaking. His orb is his heart. It carries more power than what he ever did" she tried her best to explain the reason why she had taken such path.

Claudio could only stand and listen carefully. He was still unsure about hearing all this. "So you mean to tell me that Azazel's Orb can never be destroyed?" he asked her.

The Egyptian woman nodded weakly. "My people have yet to discover whether such notion is possible. Yet so far, we have not figured it out" she said before looking at her bandaged hand. "When Jin defeated Azazel, his orb was lying among the depths of the world. Had it still been there, Azazel could have corrupted and twisted the environment and cause chaos. That is why I bravely took the orb, hoping that I could prevent it from happening. But sadly, Azazel's powers had desired to infiltrate my entire body. It would have succeeded hadn't it been for me stabbing my arm to stop the spreading" Zafina was in all honestly telling Claudio about why she had partaken such a dangerous task.

As he stood and listened, Claudio could only feel for the pain this young woman was going through. He realized how Zafina was holding onto this power reluctantly.

"I take it you came here just to uncover my secret, is that is!? Did you also invite me into L'ordine because you wanted to kill me!?" Zafina demanded answers, almost being the verge of tears. "Well, here is your chance! Kill me! That is what you Archers of Sirius seek! I am no considered a demon!" she practically dared him to kill her.

To her surprise, Claudio responded by pulling her into a hug. Zafina was taken aback by this, yet she never resisted. She stood and accepted Claudio's way of comforting and easing her pain. When he stopped hugging her, the exorcist glanced at Zafina with a weak smile.

"No. I didn't come here to kill you. I came here to say goodnight" Claudio told her before taking his leave. "Buonanotte tesoro" he told Zafina goodnight in Italian as he walked on deck. However, he had also called her "sweetheart".

This left Zafina all by herself. She had yet to understand why the exorcist had decided to not only find out the truth about her, but also to not classify her as a demon. Her left hand was cursed after all. Deep down inside, Zafina wondered whether Claudio sympathized with her position. Then again, he also had his own secrets, especially when it came to those mysterious markings near his right eye.

"Just what were you trying to prove here, Claudio Serafino?" Zafina was left with so many questions as he watched the exorcist leave around the corner. Knowing there was nothing for her to do outside, the young woman went inside to her cabin to sleep.

* * *

 _Inside Violet System's HQ, Kyoto, Japan_

Having returned to Violet System's HQ, Lei Wulong was now telling Lee Chaolan and Wang Jinrei about what he had learned on his recent road trip to Tokyo. And of course, Lars Alexandersson was present. They all sat and listened to whatever story Lei had to share about his recent discoveries. But on the other hand, Wang was more than willing to share what he had learned from Jinpachi Mishima's diary.

Lei was even reading some of the more important details in the diary at the moment. "I don't believe it…Heihachi was right. Jinpachi knew about Kazumi's curse, let alone what the Hachijos really were" the Chinese man was stunned while browsing through the pages.

"Indeed. When relations between Heihachi and Jinpachi began to sour, the Hachijos realized that their prophecy turned out to be true. Heihachi would seek to usurp his father and take control of the Mishima Zaibatsu, thus reestablishing its military prowess" Wang spoke up, the elderly man sighing as he said those words. "Poor Kazumi. The young woman was in a mental battle to control her inner demon. But deep down inside, she could never bring herself to kill her husband or her son. That's why she let only Jinpachi know about her curse. And he wanted to find a peaceful solution to this conflict. But the Hachijos and the Devil Gene…had already made their move" he spoke in a sad tone when reminiscing about Kazumi.

"But even after what Heihachi told me, I still refused to treat him as a victim. Yeah, he's got plenty of blood on his hands as Kazumi has" Lei remarked.

Wang took a sip from his tea. "I see. Still to this day, Heihachi considers himself a victim. And that is unfortunately true. He was forced to kill his wife in order to protect their son. But the pain did not end there. Heihachi realized that Kazuya was born a monster. That's why he would have to kill him. He wanted to defeat the Devil's curse. And that battle cost his humanity" the elderly man recalled from what he knew about the Mishima feud.

"Still, Heihachi had no reason for committing transgression throughout the globe. He had no reason seeking power to obtain immortality. And he sure as hell had no reason experimenting on innocent human beings" Lei pointed out, unwilling to consider Heihachi a victim.

Wang weakly nodded his head in agreement. "Of course. Those actions he did were more than inexcusable…they were also abhorrible" he agreed with Lei.

"Speaking of experimenting with human beings" Lee chimed in. "Our friend, Steve Fox. He was one of the many test subjects of this project Heihachi initiated years ago. Yet somehow, he has Mishima blood inside of him" the business tycoon was curious about Steve.

"You're right, Lee. Steve also has Mishima blood. And not only that, he is a product of Heihachi's paranoia, just as I was" Lars revealed, the Swedish man willing to tell them what he knew about Steve. "When he regained control of the Zaibatsu after the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2, Heihachi discovered samples of Kazuya's genes in the laboratories. And not only that, Nina Williams was in cryosleep at that time. This enabled Heihachi to do the most wicked idea ever" he added.

"Kazuya's genes were brought into Nina's womb…which only resulted in Steve being born….." Lei was terrified when he knew the truth about his good friend. "That means Steve is…Kazuya's biological son!" he stammered.

"It also makes him and Jin half-brothers, even though they were born months apart from one another" Lee remarked, yet he was also stunned with learning about this.

Lars nodded in agreement. "Correct. But it didn't stop there. At that time, Heihachi was still desperate to find a way to end the Devil Gene. And that's why Steve was brought up to this project of creating superhuman soldiers for the Tekken Force. But in reality, Steve was there to be tested whether he had inherited Kazuya's Devil Gene or not. That's why he was being injected with drugs each day. To see if whether he had such devlish power. Heihachi even believed that Steve could have become a potential weapon against the Devil. That's probably the reason he was given the name NT01" Lars explained what he knew about Steve.

"I know the rest of the story. Steve told me himself" Lei interjected him. "One of the scientists on that project Dr. Emma Kliesen, arranged for Steve to be dead in order to make Heihachi believe that the project was a failure. She then went on to put him up for adoption. And that's how Steve managed to escape the Mishima Zaibatsu's grip" the detective recalled back to when he learned about Steve.

"So that makes Steve and Jin half-brothers, I suppose" Lee remarked, only to snap when he realized something. "Speaking of which, none of you has told anyone else about Steve, have you?" the silver-haired man wanted to make sure this secret was being kept.

Lars formed a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Only Leo Kliesen knows. But I'm positive that she will keep the secret to herself. She's Dr. Kliesen's daughter, after all" the Swedish man informed Lee.

"Now then. I see that those two ninjas from the intelligence bureau are not present" Wang remarked as he noticed how Master Raven and Raven were not with him. "I can only imagine they are on a mission of importance" he said while facing Lee.

The business tycoon soon rose up from his seat, moving towards the door to his office. But he did look over his shoulder to face his friends. "Let's gather everyone in the lobby. There is an important announcement I have to make. It's about where our enemies will clash next" Lee revealed to them.

Knowing how it mattered so much, Lars and the others followed Lee down to the lobby. They soon found themselves standing in the elevator.

"Has everyone been…" Lei was interrupted by Lars speaking.

"Alisa and Rodeo has already done that. I bet they're anxious to know why it is we have called for them in the lobby" Lars responded, giving Lei the answer.

Wang fixed a grim expression on his weary face. "Even now, I can feel the winds of war blowing in the horizon. And that can only mean one thing" he felt concerned with what was about to take place.

As soon as the elevator's doors opened, the group could see that all their friends and allies had been gathered. Alisa, Rodeo, Paul, Marshall, Michelle, Julia, Bob, King, Marduk, Hwoarang, Baek, Shuwawei, Lili, Leo, Steve, Miguel, Josie, Xiaoyu, Asuka and Ganryu were all present to hear what the leaders of the resistance-movement had to say.

"Ah, everyone is present and accounted for. Excellent" Lee was in a delightful mood while saying his favorite word.

"What's the big rush? I was just busy a juicy entrecôte" Bob wanted to know why it was so important for him to be in the lobby.

"Tch, so many calories yet he doesn't have a heart attack" Hwoarang muttered, only to nudged on his elbow by Baek.

Xiaoyu stepped forward. "You must have an important reason for calling all of us here, is that it? Is that true, gramps?" the Chinese girl wondered before facing her relative.

Wang remained calm in face of his young student. "All will be revealed in time, Xiaoyu" he spoke softly.

"I have called you all here to reveal you where the next fight between the Mishima Zaibatsu and the G Corporation will commence. It will happen on Hawaii" Lee revealed to everyone.

Each of the fighters gathered in the lobby was surprised by hearing Lee's words. They found it impossible to imagine tropical islands becoming a battleground between two foes.

"You can't be serious…" Paul was dumbfounded. "Why the hell would they be going to Hawaii all of a sudden?" the Judo fighter wanted to know the reason.

"Yeah. Hawaii is a tropical paradise! No way those bastards would bring their fighting to a peaceful place such as that" Marshall joined in on the discussion.

"Lee Chaolan is not bluffing" Rodeo spoke up, the American soldier agreeing with Lee's words. "Because of the ongoing war, the US Army has dedicated most of its forces to protect the mainland against a potential Zaibatsu or G Corp invasion. That's why they have withdrawn from overseas territory such as Hawaii and Alaska, leaving the population vulnerable for enemy activities" he explained the current situation on Hawaii.

Among the reactions, Ganryu seemed to be the one most devastated. "So that means the Zaibatsu and the G Corp could potentially attack Honolulu!?" he felt distraught and he broke down into tears. "No! Honolulu's where I have my other restaurant! If they take their fight there, it will be destroyed!" the Sumo wrestler was growing concerned for his business.

"At ease, Ganryu. While their armies will clash on Hawaii, Honolulu is not the designated battlefield. Rather, they will do so on the area around Kīlauea. I take it you all know about that place" Lars eased Ganryu's fears while explaining where the armies would be at.

"Kīlauea. There is plenty of volcanic activity around that area. I mean, most of Hawaii's biggest volcanoes can be found there" Leo expressed her surprise.

"She is right. Why would the Zaibatsu and the G Corp choose to fight their battle on such dangerous and unpredictable terrain?" King wondered.

"We happen to know the answer. Our friendly agents from the UN was more than willing to share with me some important details" Lee said while holding a remote that belonged to a nearby television. Switching it on, the screen showed everyone a film of a volcano, specifically its crater. "According to what they have discovered, Heihachi and Kazuya will have a duel to the death in the crater of Puʻu ʻŌʻō. They will do so while their armies are tearing each other to pieces around them" the business tycoon explained as the screen showed everyone.

"A duel to the death…in the middle of a volcano…" Xiaoyu was surprisingly growing concerned about the events, despite that she was not fond of either Mishima.

"Alright. So they'll be having their own sick, twisted game on Hawaii. But what's that got to do with us?" Hwoarang wanted to know why this mattered to them so much.

"The kid's right. We're better off in letting those Mishimas tear each other to shreds. It should be something to celebrate, isn't it?" Marduk agreed with the young Korean.

But Wang was not as certain as his younger peers were. The same could be said for Lars, Lee, Lei and even Rodeo. Apparently, they had figured out the potential dangers that lied in store for Heihachi and Kazuya in having their duel. And it didn't take long before Steve, Michelle, King, Julia and Baek understood the gravity of the situation.

"There is a storm coming towards us" Wang spoke up his mind. "While the forces of our Heihachi and Kazuya clash upon that island, dark forces will take advantage to it. And if they do, this world could already be done for" the elderly man explained, expressing his worries.

"Yeah, you're talking about the Acolytes of Pluton. As well as Revenant" Rodeo spoke up, sharing his own concerns. "If we let them do as they please, it would only make the crisis much worse" the US soldier summarized.

"Then there is also this alliance of convenience calling itself L'ordine" Lili spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "That's right. They could also spell trouble for the world, especially since we don't know what this Claudio Serafino wishes to do with the demons" the rich girl spoke of the leader of the Archers of Sirius.

Hearing that name made Xiaoyu scowl. "That smug-headed jerk. He tried to capture me once!" she blurted out.

"Me as well!" Asuka joined in.

"And me" Hwoarang perfectly remembered his encounter with those exorcists. "From what I remember, he wanted to use me, Asuka and Xiaoyu as baits to lure out Jin" the Korean man recalled.

"But this time is different. Now he seems to be going for Kazuya" Baek remarked as he listened to his student.

Lars stood before the crowd, wanting to make sure that they had attention towards him. The Swedish man was preparing to reveal to them his request towards them.

"Listen up. As all of you may know, Yggdrasil must continue its efforts of waging the resistance against the Zaibatsu and the G Corp. That's why me and Lee will be unable to send reinforcements to stop Revenant's advance towards Kazuya and Heihachi" Lars began explaining. "Why I have called you all here is not to ask for you to protect nor defend those Mishimas. But it revolves around preventing darkness from using this conflict to their advantage" he went on telling everyone what he was suggesting.

Wang suddenly took to the stage. "The young man speaks the truth. This Revenant and his minions cannot be allowed to roam free. That is why I hereby declare my intention of facing him in battle. Therefore, I am leaving for Hawaii" the revered master revealed his intentions. Surprisingly, a smile formed beneath his long, white beard. "But I am not doing so alone. I cannot face an army of enemies by myself. But with confident fighters as yourself, I believe that we may stand a chance of winning" he explained to his younger peers.

Lee stood beside the old man. "This revered laoshi speaks the truth. With you at his side, we can not only repel Revenant and this L'ordine, but also potentially capture both Heihachi and Kazuya. If we succeed, this war can be ended!" he spoke in favor of Wang's suggestion.

Lars decided to chime in. "There are two trucks parked outside this building right now. They will take you to Itami Airport at Osaka, where there's a cargo plane waiting. It will fly all of you to Hawaii" he revealed before he looked to see Wang stand by the entrance. Soon, he was joined by Rodeo, Lei and Alisa, who had already decided to accompany him from the start. "All of you who are willing to follow Wang into the battle itself, step up right here and tell us why you will go before joining him" the Swedish man made the fighters stand in a line before him and Lee.

One by one, the majority of the fighters explained their own reasons for wanting to follow Wang, let alone willing to travel to a dangerous place such as Kīlauea. They each had their own motives, yet they all wanted the same thing: an end to this war.

"I'm tagging along because I got a bone to pick with Kazuya. Someone has to haul his ass to jail before he causes more havoc. We all know what he's capable of. And then there's also a possibility of running into Kuma, given that he's a Tekken Force commander now. Either way, I just wanna help save the world" Paul explained his reason for answering the call.

"I'll join this trip. I was getting tired of staying in Japan, anyways. Besides, I gotta keep an eye on Paul, make sure that he doesn't do anything reckless. Then again, I really wanna head back home to the US as soon as this is over. I miss my family…seriously. I can't imagine how they must be feeling right now" Marshall explained his reason for answering the call.

"Right now, this world needs saviors more than ever. No way I can turn down this call to save the world. The international community needs REAL heroes to end this ongoing war, not rely on another corrupt conglomerate" Bob explained his reason for answering the call.

"While I would probably stay back in Japan, I keep thinking about this Revenant-guy and how he can use the ongoing war to his advantage. Somehow, I have a feeling that he wishes to not just get rid of Kazuya, but do something much worse. Still, I'm not doing this to save him. Kazuya will face justice" Julia explained her reason for answering the call.

"As much as it irks me, I must come along on this journey. Having travelled alongside Julia taught me much about how dangerous the global situation really is. That's why I believe our goal to reforest Arizona will have to wait. The world itself is what needs saving at the moment" Michelle explained her reason for answering the call.

"I'll go to Hawaii because I want to end this damn war. I know what needs to be done to put peace in order. Neither Kazuya nor Heihachi will escape justice. Those wankers have brought nothing but misery upon the world for too long! It's about time someone punched their lights out!" Steve explained his reason for answering the call.

"Kazuya has turned the G Corporation into a war machine. It's an affront to everything it used to stand for. Not only do they experiment with human beings, they also hire teenage idols to disguise their wrongdoings. Because of that, I can't forgive what Kazuya has done. That Hurensohn will pay for desecrating the G Corp, as well as the murder of my mother!" Leo explained her reason for answering the call.

"I don't care what happens to either of those Mishima-bastardos. All that I want is to crack the skulls of Tekken Force members! They will not be taking more innocent lives…as they did with my sister. Other than that…I will figure out later" Miguel explained his reason for answering the call.

"Hawaii sounds like a perfect place for some R&R. But that will have to wait. Right now, I must make sure that those who put my father through much distress is punished. Then there's also this Claudio Serafino. I would like to have some "words" with him, assuming he shows up at Kīlauea that is" Lili explained her reason for answering the call.

"Don't get me wrong, I do wanna end this war. That's the mean reason I'm joining this trip. But I also have other reasons. One of the members of L'ordine is that brutish thug Feng Wei. He almost ruined my family's dojo. I still wanna get back at him for what he did. And since Jin is still in a coma, will take out my frustration upon that Kenpo bastard instead" Asuka explained her reason for answering the call.

"Although I can only dread going to a place such as Kīlauea, I feel that I must enter that battle to stop it. I will do whatever it takes to prevent the Zaibatsu or the G Corp from nearing Honolulu. I worked hard to establish Chanko Paradise, so I be damned if my business is ruined. Besides, I can't simply sit back. I am no longer the same coward as I was before. I am Ganryu, the Yokozuna!" Ganryu explained his reason for answering the call.

"At first, I was thinking about staying here by Jin's side. But my heart tells me to let him rest in peace. There are bigger things at stake here. And I know that sooner or later, Jin will awaken from this coma. That's why I'm following gramps to Hawaii. But I can't help but to feel anxious about what he plans on doing there. His frail age is not suitable for a volcanic environment. Even so, I'll be watching him" Xiaoyu explained her reason for answering the call.

"I'm wasting my time here in Kyoto. Right now, I feel that I need to be on Hawaii. It's not just right to let that old geezer go there by himself. Hell, he could have use for someone with my kicks. That's why I'm following him" Hwoarang explained his reason for answering the call.

"I'd hope that Hwoarang would not get dragged into a mess such as this. But as his teacher, I can't deny how passionate and determined he is in wanting to stop Kazuya and Heihachi. Oh well, at least he's not as fixated upon Jin as he was before. I'm coming along because of that fact alone. Hwoarang will not screw up like in Saudi Arabia" Baek explained his reason for answering the call.

"There's a feeling in my gut telling me that this battle will change Master Baek and Hwoarang. I can't bear to not be at their side. That is why I am in on this battle. Besides, Master Wang could really use a helping hand" Shuwawei explained her reason for answering the call.

"Even though it happened a long ago, I still feel pissed off about Heihachi ditching me. I had busted my butt to be admitted into the Tekken Force, only for him to discard me as if I was a toy! I swear, if there's one thing I will look forward to, it is to kick my former comrades' sorry faces! And if possible, I'll do the same thing with Heihachi's!" Josie explained her reason for answering the call.

"This war has to end. I am doing this not just for my orphanage back in Mexico, but also for the children across the globe. But there is also Armor King. I pray that history will not repeat itself. How long will it take before he sees how Marduk has remorse for his past actions?" King explained his reason for answering the call.

"I'm not the kind of guy people would call a hero. And I'll admit, I've done plenty of messed-up things in the past. But those things STAYS in the past. I've moved on. And right now, children of this world are suffering. I can't let that stand as long as those Mishimas continue playing god. However, Armor King won't see it that way. I know he will come after my ass. And I'll fight him if I have to…but I don't wanna kill him…that's not how I wanna be remembered" Marduk explained his reason for answering the call.

Once everyone had said what they needed to say, they followed Wang out of the building. Two trucks were waiting to pick up the group. It didn't take long before they were inside. The trucks sped off without hesitation.

Both Lars and Lee could only stand and watch as they had sent off this group to a dangerous battle. Regardless, they knew it was the right choice.

"Don't worry. We will keep track of them via my satellites" Lee assured Lars, seeing how he was slightly concerned for the group. "You don't suppose Alisa can't defend herself, is that it?" he teasingly asked him.

Instead of responding to Lee's jab, Lars turned around and went inside the building with a scoff. He had no words for his adoptive half-brother. Still, Lee wasn't bothered.

"I understand. She also has my confidence. Alisa as stronger than you know" the business tycoon remarked.

"Come on, Lee. We best head inside and continue coordinate our effort" Lars called out to him.

Happily, Lee followed Lars into the building, feeling more than ready to assist the Swedish man in any way he could.

 _To be continued…_


	40. Pele

**TEKKEN: BLOOD FEUD**

* * *

 **Chapter 40: Pele**

 _On a containership in the middle of the Pacific Ocean_

In the middle of the vast seas of the Pacific, a lone containership had been sailing since it left Japan a couple of days ago. Having sailed from Osaka, this containership was heading towards the Americas, specifically the Panama Canal. Still, it would take a long time before reaching Panama, as this large ship was trying to sail halfway around the world. After all, its final destination was Nassau on the Bahamas. Such journey would take months.

But for the three Brazilians: Eddy Gordo, Katarina Alves and Christie Monteiro, their destination was not the Bahamas. Once the ship stopped at the Panama Canal, they would hop off and then proceed back home to Brazil. Having been given forged passports by Lee, they had stayed onboard the ship as sailors. They had not attracted suspicion from the crew, so their cover was still unblown.

From day and night, the three Brazilians had worked to make sure the containers onboard the ship were tightly secured. And not only that, there were plenty of more jobs for them to do on deck.

Along the journey, Eddy had developed a friendlier bond with Katarina. Though they had first met one another as enemies, they eventually overcame it as they shared a common enmity in the G Corporation. Furthermore, both had done their best to support Christie, who was still grieving for her deceased grandfather. Eddy could only hope that they would reach home faster so that they could begin the funeral preparations.

Right now, Christie was heading inside towards the galley. It was lunchtime and she was feeling hungry. Christie was certain that her friends were already at the place. But before she could turn around the corner, she heard the voice of Eddy and Katarina. This made her stop. Eventually she decided to hear what they were saying.

"You're saying what?" Katarina questioned Eddy while putting her hands on her hips.

"You heard me. I invite you to attend my master's funeral" Eddy spoke up, revealing a surprising change in attitude towards the young woman. "While we may have met one another as enemies, we still managed to get over our animosities and become trustworthy allies. Besides, it would make Christie happy if you were with us. She needs emotional support, more than ever" the man with the dreadlocks added.

Katarina had to chuckle. "Don't push your luck, espertinho. We became friends as a result of that American solider encouraging us to cooperate" she pointed out.

This only made Eddy smirk at her in a cocky manner. "Well, you didn't seem to have any reservations against it, did you?" he asked.

Christie was finding their conversation to be amusing. She was happy to see how Eddy and Katarina had developed a friendly bond in such a short amount of time. But the young girl couldn't help but to wonder whether they were slowly becoming more than just friends. Hoping to find more clues, she continued to listen to their conversation.

"Bem. I accept your invitation. But know that I only do this for Christie's sake. She's literally the only friend I've ever made" Katarina spoke up, revealing something that stunned Christie. She seemed to be in slightly pain as well. "Back in Brazil, I never had the luxury of making friends. The only people I dealt with were twisted pervertidos and snotty cadelas. But that changed when I met you two" the woman with the sunglasses admitted.

Seeing in how personal Katarina was getting, Eddy put a hand on her shoulders. She was surprised, yet their faces continued gazing into one another. Christie could tell that something was abound to happen between them.

"Don't worry about it, Katarina. You have made more than just friends. That I can assure you" Eddy told her, the distance between their lips so small.

Without even hesitating, the two Brazilians kissed. They did so in a passionate manner, both holding onto each other as they battled each other for oral dominance. They had assumed nobody would be watching them, but that was wrong.

Christie was completely surprised with seeing her two friends making out. Then again, she had started to realize that there was something else going on between them. She did not feel any ounce of jealousy towards Katarina. Indeed, while Christie and Eddy shared a close relationship, it was not on the same level as that of a romantic relationship. It was more like a relationship between an older brother and a younger sister.

As soon as the kissing ended, Katarina and Eddy stared at one another with cocky expressions.

"You owe me, Eddy" the sassy woman told him.

"Only in your wildest dreams, Katarina" Eddy replied, trying to flirt with her.

In response, Katarina playfully slapped the Capoeira fighter before turning around to walk away. "Fair enough, bonito. Let's go get something to eat. I'm hungry" she said while flossing her long hair.

"Whatever you say, namorada" Eddy responded back before following his girlfriend.

Realizing that she had not been noticed, Christie had to let out a giggle. A part of her felt somewhat mischievous in what she had accomplished. But the other part of her felt somewhat confused. After all, there had been a time when Christie once had romantic feelings towards Eddy.

"I used to feel incredibly in love with Eddy. But ever since I reunited with him…those enamored feelings…...have died" Christie noted as she walked in the hallway to the galley. "I don't know how that happened…but obviously hist time in the Tekken Force made us grow apart from one another" the young girl continued pondering over her feelings towards Eddy.

As she entered the galley, Christie searched for her closest friends. She could see them sitting by a small table and that they had reserved a seat for her. The young Capoeira fighter smiled in seeing this.

"But me and Katarina have developed this friendship as well. There's no way that I could've made her my "love rival". Besides, dating my Capoeira teacher does sound a bit awkward. Even so, I fully accept Eddy and Katarina having this relationship" Christie spoke in her mind as she took her seat at the table.

"There you are, moça. What took you so long?" Katarina asked as she faced the young girl.

"Sorry, I just had to make sure that the supervisor wouldn't demand more chores from me. You know how demanding he sometimes can get" Christie answered, although she was not entirely telling the truth.

Katarina frowned, given she knew about this supervisor. "You mean that fat-lipped burro? I swear, he's a giant pain in my neck. I can't count the number of times I have heard him scream commands at me" she moped while rubbing her face.

Eddy took a bite of the sausage and swallowed the piece. "Look on the bright side. At least we're on a ship heading home. While this ship may not take us directly to Brazil, it's more preferable being out in the ocean than staying in Japan. There's nothing for us to do when the entire country is on lockdown" the man with the dreadlocks pointed out.

Christie had to smile weakly at Eddy's words. "You're most certainly right, Eddy. I can't imagine how our friends are doing, waging this opposition against the Zaibatsu and the G Corp. But then again, that's got nothing to do with us for now" she let out a sigh while thinking about a very personal matter. "I pray that we reach the Panama Canal sooner. I just wanna get back home and bury grandpa" Christie was getting slightly emotional in what she was saying.

Seeing how her friend was in pain, Katarina reached out to pat her head. "Trust me, we'll get back as soon as we can. You just have to stay strong until then" the woman told her before forming an encouraging smile on her lips. "In fact, I'll be more than happy to be by your side at the funeral" she told him.

Christie acted as she was surprised. "You really mean it?" the young girl asked Katarina.

"Certamente! After what you and I have been through, there's no way that I could turn down an opportunity to help a friend grieve in peace. Besides, you and Eddy stood with me in finding the whereabouts of my father. Not to mention that we almost got vaporized" Katarina kept reminded her friends about their recent exploit.

Eddy had to groan. "Please don't bring that up again. It brings me bad memories" he literally "begged" Katarina not to remind him about the incident by the Millennium Tower. The Capoeira fighter soon found himself at peace. "I've already given up my quest for vengeance. A cold-hearted bastardo such as Kazuya Mishima is not worth chasing after. I have already more important things to take care of…such as burying my deceased master" Eddy was slightly getting emotional as he reflected on how he had changed on this journey.

Both Christie and Katarina could see how someone as stern as Eddy could also be in pain over a loss. Christie could especially relate to his situation. She had never imagined what would happen if not just her grandfather but also Eddy had died. That would have only shattered her entire body.

"But now's not the time to dwell on how things could have been done different. What happened in the past, stays in the past" Katarina tried to change the subject. Her friend and boyfriend looked at her. "All that matters now is that we reach Panama before we die of boredom out on the seas" the sassy woman tried to hold her head up high.

Eddy and Christie both laughed in seeing Katarina's antics being displayed. It was what made them like her as a friend. They were happy to have made friends with someone like her, or girlfriend in the case with Eddy.

As the evening descended upon the open sea, everything was darkened outside the containership's atmosphere. The seas were still calm, yet winds were blowing a little stronger than before. The majority of the sailors went inside their cabins to sleep.

Given that they were girls, Katarina and Christie shared the same cabin. It was relatively small cabin, with two beds separated by a nightstand in the middle. It also had a bathroom and a small window circling above the nightstand. Regardless, they enjoyed staying there so far. It gave them plenty of opportunities to gossip like what women would usually do, especially when it came to Eddy's secrets.

But tonight, both girls just wanted to go to sleep earlier. It had been a long day of work. Still, they were not against having a conversation before doing so.

"Hey Katarina" Christie called over to her friend, who was still awake. "I don't mean to be nitpicky or anything…but is it true that you and Eddy are...you know…" she tried to come up with an appropriate sentence.

Katarina smirked at her. "No need to be so secretive, moça. I know you've been peeping on us" she revealed to Christie in a smug manner.

This really caught Christie by surprise. "Say what? I d-don't know what you're t-talking about" the young girl responded, much to Katarina's amusement.

"Come on, Christie. Quit acting like you're clueless. It's okay if you're curious to know about what's going on between me and him" Katarina explained, only to feel like going on with it. "I bet you're wondering how he and I suddenly started this relationship" the sassy woman tried to figure out Christie's curiosity.

Sighing in defeat, Christie knew that she would have to come clean. "You're right. That's probably why I'm so curious. I mean, you and Eddy met each other as enemies. And there wasn't a moment neither you nor him could avoid trading insults to one another. What's really bugging me is how you and Eddy managed to overcome that" Christie explained what had been bothering her ever since then.

Katarina mused to herself as she recalled what her friend had told her. "You know, I've been wondering about that myself for quite some time" she admitted. "But to answer you bluntly, let's just say that I somewhat fell for his tough-guy persona" Katarina revealed.

"His tough-guy persona?" even Christie was unsure about what to make of this. "While I do admit that he has no tolerance for weakness, I knew deep down that Eddy's a softie. I mean, he always looked for me as if I was his younger sister" the young girl spoke up her mind.

"That reminds me, Eddy was in prison with your grandfather, wasn't he?" Katarina wondered.

Christie couldn't help but to feel uneasy as she was asked that question. "That is true. But unlike grandpa, Eddy was imprisoned for the wrong reasons. He was falsely accused of murdering his parents. They were all blind to the reality. It was associates of Kazuya Mishima that stood behind the murders. Didn't Eddy ever tell you about his time in prison?" she wanted Katarina to come clean.

"No. He hasn't been willing to share that story with me. And I have not bothered asking, given that I don't wanna bring back memories that can possibly hurt him" Katarina remarked.

"I see. Well, I really think you should keep doing so. While he may have given up on vengeance against that damn Mishima, Eddy still hasn't gotten over his time spent in jail. I can't imagine how being inside those horrifying conditions must've felt like. My grandpa's time behind bars worsened his health…which resulted to his death" Christie explained, getting emotional as she was reminiscing about her late grandfather.

Katarina didn't feel like continuing this conversation, as she was feeling her eyes getting sleepier. Christie was also feeling the same way.

"Well, how about we get some sleep. It's been a long day. And it will continue so for a long time. Boa noite, Christie" Katarina said before shutting her eyes.

Forming a smile on her lips, Christie drifted into sleep as well. "Boa noite, Katarina" she replied.

The two Brazilian ladies began sleeping. They would need some energy if they were to work illegally as sailors on a containership. Even so, it was done for a good cause: to reach the Americas by any means necessary.

But as Christie and Katarina were about to sleep, something loud woke them up. It was a loud sound of what appeared to be flying motors above them. Both Brazilians were gutted with shock as they thought something was about to crash on the ship.

"Puta merda! What was that noise!?" Katarina wondered aloud as she looked up in the ceiling.

Christie got up to look through the small window above the nightstand. While it was small, one could at least look outside at the sea to see what it was.

"I don't know. But given how loud and fast it came and went by, it sounded like jet fighters" she said, still looking outside to see whether something was out on the seas or in the skies. "But I don't see anything now. Must've been a coincidence" Christie concluded.

But Katarina was not as convinced. "I'm not so sure, Christie. I mean, why in the world would jet fighters be flying at such a low height above the seas? They would have reason to do that unless they were headed for…" as she took a look at her friend, Katarina could see Christie looking outside with terror in her eyes. The young woman got up to look outside. "Hey Chrisite…..why are you feeling so….caralho!" she cursed in Portuguese at the end of her sentence.

What the Brazilians could see outside the small window was stunning and unexpected. A large battleship was sailing past the containership. And another one was seen distances away from the battleship appearing close to the containership. Still, Katarina and Christie could see who they belonged to by getting a glimpse of the flags, and symbols that were on full display for them to see.

"No…..it can't be…" Christie was at loss for words. "Battleships belonging to the Mishima Zaibatsu…..that can only mean one thing….." the young girl had despair written on her forehead.

But out of nowhere, an alarm was sounded. This one belonged to the containership itself. It was obvious that the entire crew onboard the ship was hearing it ringing. And there was more to come, because the captain himself was speaking.

" _Attention all crewmembers! This is your captain speaking! As of now, we are being boarded! I repeat, we are being boarded! Soldiers of the Tekken Force have demanded to see what this ship is transporting. They will be inspecting everything as a result! Until further notice, remain calm and do not anything to provoke them. Cooperate with these soldiers should they ask for assistance. Thank you!_ " the message came from the bridge, specifically from the captain himself.

"This has to be some kind of a nightmare! Just what the hell is going on!?" Christie was filled with uneasiness. "We're sailing in the middle of the Pacific, only to be boarded by the Tekken Force all of a sudden?!" she looked very distressed.

"It seems that way. And by hearing the way the captain spoke in his message. It's obvious, he and his navigators are being hold prisoners on the bridge" Katarina summarized, trying to picture the situation they were in.

Meanwhile, the entire containership was being swarmed by the Tekken Force. The black clad soldiers searched every cabin, dragging sailors out to "cooperate" with regards to this inspection. Even now, Eddy and his cabinmate, a Japanese sailor, were being forced out in the corridor by three soldiers. They wanted to search the cabin, which is why they wanted those two out. The Japanese sailor was cowering in fear, begging the soldiers not to shot him.

"Please have mercy! I'll give you anything you want! Just don't kill me! I have a family back home!" the sailor pleaded, tears falling down his cheeks.

In response, the soldier, who seemed to be a captain, slammed the sailor with his assault rifle. The poor man was bloodied because of this.

"I already told you! You'll be fine as long as you do as we say! Once the inspection is finished, you can head inside the cabin. But until then, shut up and quit crying!" the captain was growing impatient with the sailor's antics.

The sailor still sniffed, yet he had ceased this begging for his life. The same thing could not be said for Eddy. While he had been taken aback by this unexpected boarding, the Capoeira-fighter was surprisingly calm in face of it. It was not surprising considering that Eddy himself had once worked in the Tekken Force. As such, he knew all about their tactics and codes of honor.

Still, Eddy felt troubled. "This doesn't make any sense. To my understanding, the Mishima Zaibatsu's navy usually don't patrol the Pacific Ocean. They are usually more holed up in the South China Sea. So why are they here all of a sudden?" the Brazilian man wondered as he observed the captain await his subordinates to arrive.

It didn't take long before the two soldiers exited the cabin. "Nothing suspicious to report here. This cabin's completely clean" the soldier told him.

"Good to know" the captain said and looked at the Japanese sailor. "Alright, crybaby. You can head inside the cabin. We're done here" he told him.

The sailor was full of relief and happily entered the cabin. But as Eddy was about to join him, the captain blocked his path. For some reason, he was not letting him go just yet.

"Not so fast. We're not done with you" the captain firmly explained.

"Tch, what are you talking about?" Eddy was growing agitated with what he was put through.

"There's something awfully familiar about you, sir. I mean, the dreadlocks, the piercings and that serious frown. You're not some random sailor, that's for sure" the captain noted as he studied Eddy's features.

Eddy crossed his arms with a smirk. "Really? Well, there's plenty of sailors who has those things. Clearly you don't know much about how international crews work" he replied, his tone hinting to a level of rudeness towards the captain.

"Hey! I remember you! You're Eddy Gordo! I used to be your subordinate in your squadron in the Tekken Force!" one of the soldiers seemed to recall who Eddy was.

"Eddy Gordo? You mean that turncoat who abandoned us for his own personal gai…" the other soldier was interrupted by a powerful kick landing on him.

The captain and the soldier were stunned as they saw Eddy already being in fighting mode. He demonstrated some of his Capoeira-moves.

"There's no mistaking! You really are him!" the captain said as he aimed his assault rifle on Eddy.

Still, Eddy was not cautious about these soldiers in the slightest. "None of you have any clue about what I went through, so quit judging me!" he first shut them down before making his move. "And for the record, I no longer have any business with you bastardos! So go to hell, all of you!" he yelled as he attacked them with his skills.

Neither of the soldiers seemed to be strong enough to take on Eddy, not even the captain. He was after all a former commander of the Tekken Force. That's why grunts such as them were not match for him.

"Now how's that for a turncoat?" he taunted his defeated foes.

"Eddy!" the Capoeira fighter looked up to see Christie and Katarina coming towards him. Both girls were surprised to see what he had accomplished. "Woah…..you've really done it this time" Christie was speechless.

"They were bent on killing me. Apparently, these soldiers recognized me from my time in the Tekken Force" Eddy pointed out.

Katarina moved over to one of the unconscious soldiers and began poking him with her shoes. "Great. And here I was hoping to not deal with Zaibatsu-bichanos. They always know when to ruin your moment of satisfaction!" she expressed her resentment in having to deal with this.

"But what happens know? You really think these battleships will leave us once the inspection is complete?" Christie wondered before realizing something. "And that reminds me, we have to hide these guys somewhere! If more Tekken Force shows up, we're definitely screwed" the young girl said as she picked up the soldier.

As he watched Christie do that, a thought crossed into Eddy's mind. The two girls could see that he was planning on something.

"Christie's right. We best hide these soldiers somewhere. Let's go to your cabin. I actually have a good idea on how we can escape this mess" Eddy told his friends.

As the three Brazilians took the unconscious soldiers with them to the cabin, the Tekken Force squadrons continued their search on the containership. They would not leave until they had determined that nobody on the ship was of threat to them. After all, they also wanted to see whether the containership was harboring enemies, specifically soldiers of the G Corporation. Yet after an intense search, it was time for the Tekken Force to end the inspection.

"Attention all soldiers! It has been determined that this ship harbors no threat to us. The inspection has hereby been recalled. Return to the ship at once!" a commander was seen calling for all soldiers to head back to the ship.

The captain kept focusing his attention on guiding them to the right way. He then got to see three soldiers that he seemed to know, despite the similar attires they wore.

"You three! Did you find any suspicious activities in the cabins?" the captain questioned them.

The one in the middle shook his head. "Negative. They were nothing but harmless sailors struggling to make ends meet. That's why there was no need for us to make their lives more miserable" he replied with a familiar tone.

In response, the captain shrugged his shoulders. "No matter. Now hurry up and get back on the ship. We'll be leaving as soon as everyone's aboard. All of our men must be safe as this giant floating heap sinks to the depths" the captain told them.

The trio obeyed without hesitation, getting on the Mishima Zaibatsu battleship along the other soldiers of the Tekken Force. But instead of joining their comrades, they hid themselves around a corner on deck. Realized that nobody was near them, they took off their helmets.

Turns out, this trio was actually Eddy, Katarina and Christie. Apparently, they had "borrowed" the outfits of the unconscious soldiers and used them to get onboard without any suspicion. Now that they were alone, it gave them the opportunity to summarize what was about to happen.

"Heh. That supervisor seemed incredibly clueless. His subordinates recognized my voice but not him. But then again, this helmet did help me a little" Eddy mused to himself in how he had fooled his former comrades in the Tekken Force.

But Christie didn't share his enthusiasm. "Didn't you hear what he said, Eddy? They're planning on blowing the ship despite not finding anything onboard!" the young girl lashed out against him.

"Hmmm, I never realized the Zaibatsu to bee THAT dishonorable" Katarina chimed in.

Eddy could understand Christie's frustration. "I share your discomfort, Christie. Obviously, they want it sunken because it could potentially give supplies and info to the G Corporation's navy, wherever they are. There's something telling me that a naval warfare is coming up. But is it in the middle of the Pacific or something?" he wondered while reassuring Christie about his opinions.

"I don't know Eddy. It just feels wrong to have left those soldiers back in the cabin…" Christie began having second thoughts about this, only to be lightly slapped by Katarina.

"Not so fast, moça. When those guys joined the Tekken Force, their lives were bound to the Mishima Zaibatsu. In other words, they knew what they were in for. But I'm sure they're already up by now screaming on deck almost naked and…" Katarina was interrupted when the trio heard a large explosion.

Quickly looking around the corner, the Brazilians were stunned to see a powerful detonation bomb going off on the containership. It caused a huge explosion in the middle. The large vehicle began to gradually sink as a result of it. Neither of the Brazilians had words to describe this scene they were witnessing.

"Meu Deus…" they all said in unison as they watched the containership being reduced to flames.

As soon as the battleship continued sailing through the ocean, an announcement was made to its crew. It was loud for everyone, even those standing outside on deck, to hear.

" _Attention all squadrons! Now that we have disposed of a potential supplier to our enemies, we will proceed sailing to Hawaii. It's where we finally clash with the G Corporation's navy. Until then, get some rest and gather your energies. You will need them for the upcoming battle. Stay vigilant, Tekken Force!_ "

This announcement alone sent shivers down the spines of Eddy, Christie and Katarina. They were all uncomfortable with where they were headed towards.

"Droga…what kind of mess have we gotten ourselves into this time?" Eddy wondered.

"What do you mean by that? It was your idea for us to sneak onboard this ship" Katarina reminded him. "But then again…..none of us had any clue about an upcoming battle on Hawaii" the young woman then admitted.

"Just what the hell are those jackasses thinking!?" Christie was furious. "How long does it take before Heihachi and Kazuya stop using the world as their playground! I swear, I would give anything just to give them my kicks to their sorry faces!" she expressed her desire to go and get the two Mishimas.

Eddy was amused by her determination. "Hmmm…..you may get the chance, Christie" he told her. Both Christie and Katarina looked at him confused. The Capoeira fighter knew he had to explain more. "And I really mean it. Don't you see? The upcoming battle will without question determined the winner of this global war. That's why both Heihachi and Kazuya will be there to finish each other off" Eddy revealed his hypothesis.

"And you suggest we go get them with our own hands?" Katarina quizzed him.

"I never said we would do that. Furthermore, that may be impossible, seeing as we're infiltrating as soldiers. It will be one hell of a fight on Hawaii, not to mention the many active volcanoes that exist" Eddy clarified his statement.

"Then why don't we just plan out what we should do on Hawaii?" Christie suggested. "There's no way that I'm gonna participate in any bloodshed! As soon as we land on Hawaii, I say we run away as fast as we can!" she then expressed her desire.

Eddy formed a frown that hinted to worry. "Careful, Christie. Remember what I told you about what the Tekken Force do with any deserters? It's life or death" the man with dreadlocks informed Christie.

"I don't give a rat's ass about that!" Christie snapped back at him. The young girl soon found herself lowering the head in pain. "What matters is that we reach home in one piece. I can't be at peace with grandpa's death until he's buried. I just can't…" she was expressing what she truly wanted.

Both Eddy and Katarina showed understanding towards him in return. They had both pledges to help her get back to Brazil. But for now, they would have to contend with a more serious and unexpected matter: getting dragged into a unwanted battle.

* * *

 _Above the seas near Hawaii, Hawaiian Islands_

Because of recent events, the United States had withdrawn most of their forces on overseas territory. They had returned to the mainland to prepare for a potential attack from either the Zaibatsu or the G Corp. Such actions had only left Hawaii vulnerable to activities between the two clashing sides. When the local citizens heard about two enemies ready to descend upon the island, they desperately abandoned their homes. Either they would seek refuge on the other Hawaiian Islands, or they would take the risk and sail out to the Pacific. Anything was preferable than being a casualty of war.

The island of Hawaii, which was named after the same state itself, was home to many of the islands dormant and active volcanoes. Among them were Kīlauea, Kohala and Hualālai. But they were perhaps not the main focus of the moment. For in just a short moment, two armies would descend upon the island, battling on the volcanic environment until the other was defeated.

On Laʻaloa Bay, the few people who had decided to stay up all night were shocked to see what was floating in the distance. Two armadas were sailing towards one another, while some were heading towards the beach itself. The beachgoers all fled in terror, unwilling to become caught in the crossfire.

In the air, cargo planes from both sides started dropping everything across the island. Reinforcements, vehicles and supplies all started falling down with parachutes attached tot them. At the same time, jet fighters were prepared to drop bomb upon enemy targets whenever air support was requested. As soon as the two armies got on ground-level, they headed towards Kīlauea, the place of their battlefield. The so-called Battle for Hawaii had begun.

A squadron of the Tekken Force was now secretly marching through the Kahaualeʻa Natural Area Reserve. They had planned on routing out enemy forces with a sneak attack. That's why the majority of these soldiers were sharpshooters. At first, they were under the impression they were the only ones using the reserve to their advantage. But they were wrong. A noise forced the sharpshooters to stay alert.

"Halt!" the commander, who was the solider calling himself Crow ordered his subordinates.

None of them moved an inch, holding their weapons ready to use. But the noise came once again, this time from the nearby bushes and plants. Realizing that an investigation was needed, Crow turned his attention to one of the scouts.

"You! Go and see if there something moving there. It's probably just a small animal, but we need to be sure!" Crow commanded the scout.

He obeyed without hesitation, taking silent steps towards the bushes and leaves. The scout was holding his aim, a if he was ready to shoot whatever was hiding among the plants. Since he couldn't get a clear view of it from the outside, the scout had to search through the bushes. As such, he was out of his comrades' sight.

The scout tried to find any clues, and he soon found one. A footprint, lying in the middle of the dirt. Feeling cautious, he sat on one knee to study the footprint.

"Weird. This footprint can't possibly belong to a mammal. And there sure are no tall birds here in Kahaualeʻa. I wonder…" as he continued to face down, he noticed certain drips falling into the ground. "Ah great, it's started to rain. Why does it have to…hold the phone…" the scout realized that those were not raindrops.

He even heard a hissing sound coming from above. The scout was terrified at the sight of Alex, the dinosaur experiment of the G Corp, exposing his face among the bushes. Apparently, those "drips" acme from Alex's salvia.

"UUAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the scout cried hysterically, but it was too late for him.

Crow and the other sharpshooters heard the commotion and readied their rifles. They were given a horrific sight as Alex was seen holding the scout's right hand in his jaws. The poor man was screaming for his life, yet Alex continued his ravaging.

"HOLY SHIT!" Crow cried. "SHOOT! SHOOT THAT FUCKING BEAST!" he commanded out of desperation.

But Crow and his subordinates had allowed themselves to be distracted by Alex's shock entrance. From their left, Gigas started rampaging through the forest, knocking down trees and soldiers foolish enough to be near him. Someone was firing his assault rifle upon him, yet those bullets didn't so much as injure the biomechanical monstrosity. That soldier only ended up getting his limbs ripped off.

Two soldiers were completely crushed by the enormous weight of JACK-7 when he landed upon from the air. His appearance took the entire squadron off-guard.

Crow, who could see how his subordinates fell one by one, ran for his life. He knew he was powerless against a dinosaur, a robot and a biomechanical behemoth. That's why he would flee while it was still an option. But as Crow ran, a powerful swing with an elbow came right towards him. The soldier was knocked to the ground, feeling the pain on his chest.

"Goin' somewhere, buddy?" the voice came from Bruce Irvin, as he and several soldiers of the G Corp emerged from the trees. The Muai Thai fighter smirked as he faced down at his target. "Not on my watch" Bruce added.

Crow was completely at his mercy, given that Bruce and his forces had now denied him the opportunity to escape. He could even see Alex, JACK-7 and Gigas approach him from behind as a result.

"Don't worry, we won't kill you. NOT YET!" Bruce stomped Crow on his stomach, rendering him totally motionless. He then turned around to make sure his subordinates were facing him. "Good job, men! We've disposed those cowards before they could harass our forces!" he praised them.

The entire gang cheered before him, each of them happy to have someone like Bruce as their commander.

"Alright! We're to continue through the reserve until we reach…" Bruce stopped speaking once he noticed that something was amiss. He scowled in irritation. "Not again! Where's Chloe!?" he demanded an answer from his subordinates.

"N-no idea, sir" one of them responded.

"Wasn't she with us when we first came here?" another one spoke up.

Groaning, Bruce headed back to the depths to see what Lucky Chloe was doing. When he did find her, he was dumbfounded by what he witnessed.

"What's up, boys and girls!? Lucky Chloe here bringing you a safari live in the Kahaualeʻa Natural Area Reserve on Hawaii! Lots of things to see here from plants to birds!" Chloe was actually vlogging with her own tablet computer. Obviously, she was communicating with her fanbase. The teenage girl kept posing for the screen as she showed them what she was seeing. "Put on your backpacks and binoculars, guys! This is gonna be a safari you won't forget! Follow me as I tell you what this reserve really is all about and…UAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" she screamed once she could see Bruce glaring at her with his arms crossed.

Because of that, Lucky Chloe accidentally let go of the tablet computer. It fell on the ground, much to the teenage idol's despair.

"Oh God! Not the tablet computer!" she cried as she quickly leaned down to get a grab her device. "Damnit Bruce! Was that really necessary!?" she then complained to him.

"Cut the bullshit, Chloe! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Bruce demanded.

"Duh! I'm vlogging of course. I was gonna show my fans a safari until you had to ruin it all!" Chloe sassily hit back while sticking out her tongue.

"Vlogging? Safari? You gotta be kidding me!" Bruce angrily approached the teenage girl. "We're in the middle of a war and were sent here to route out an enemy squadron. Yet you have the audacity to not take this seriously!?" he was really ticked off at the moment.

Despite seeing such aggression, Chloe was dismissive towards Bruce. "Tch, as if I care! So quit bossing me around, old man!" she said and walked past him.

Bruce was glaring at her in disgust, yet he was interrupted by the sound of a large helicopter flying above the forest. He and his subordinates knew that it belonged to the G Corp.

The black-skinned man smiled at this. "Finally. He's here" Bruce remarked as he ordered his men to follow him. "Alright, soldiers! The boss has finally arrived! We'll rendezvous with him on the outskirts of the reserve. Move out!" he commanded and they all obeyed.

The transport helicopter landed safely on the outskirts of the forest. There was a particular reason for why this area was not forested, since it was at the foot of Puʻu ʻŌʻō. It was there where Kazuya and Heihachi would have their duel. Even now, sings of volcanic activity could be seen. But that didn't stop Kazuya from going there.

The CEO of the G Corp was standing there with his muscular torso exposed. He wore his red gloves and white gi pants with a black belt. Since getting off, Kazuya had been facing the destination he was supposed to be at. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the volcano he would soon head to.

"Heihachi…" he uttered the name of his father in disgust.

"Aren't you gonna go?" the voice came from Anna Williams. The Irishwoman had chosen an odd attire to wear for combat. She was dressed like that of a black widow, which was strange, given that she was in a battle and not a funeral. "There's no telling whether he's arrived there or not" Anna pointed out.

"All in due time, Anna. But before I leave, I want to have a word with you and the others" Kazuya revealed, his eyes still facing the volcano.

Although Anna was somewhat confused, she didn't dare ask her boss anymore questions. She had taken notice of how different Kazuya had been acting since he had eavesdropped on the conversation between Heihachi and Lei. Anna wondered whether Kazuya would return to normal by defeating his father in combat.

"Well speak of the devil. They're coming" Anna told him as she caught a glimpse of the squadron that was coming out of the reserve. "It would seem that the tactic was a success. They managed to dismantle the Tekken Force ambush squadron" she continued.

Kazuya smirked. "Terrific. Just as I expected" the Japanese man was satisfied.

The squadron came up to their superior, with Bruce taking the helm of leadership. Lucky Chloe, Alex, Gigas and JACK-7 were following behind not long after. Every soldier stood in line saluting before their superior. Bruce stepped forward to join Kazuya and Anna.

"Those sneaky bastards have been taken care off. But we only got rid of a pest. The Zaibatsu has brought their main army at the foot of Kīlauea to confront ours. Still, we'll deal with them. Know that we've managed to secure Kono Airport outside Kalaoa. It will give us plenty of advantages in taking out those Tekken Force scumbags. You just go do what you gotta do, Kazuya" Bruce spoke to Kazuya, feeling slightly attached to him.

To Bruce's surprise, Kazuya smiled weakly. The Muai Thai fighter was getting surprised. It had been a very long time since he had last given him THAT type of a smile. Bruce wondered whether Kazuya had started to officially accept Bruce as a very close friend.

"You have done many good things for me, Bruce. Both you and Anna are the only ones that I can count on" Kazuya revealed before looking over his shoulder to get a glimpse of Puʻu ʻŌʻō. He did so for a couple of seconds before facing his close associates. "I do not know what fate has decided for me in this battle. Whether I will die or survive, I am not sure. But know that it has been an honor to have each of you by my side. I wish that I could do more to repay your loyalties" he then admitted, realizing how important allies Bruce and Anna had been to him.

Neither of them had words to describe how grateful and appreciative they felt when Kazuya said those words. But at the same time, they understood his words. This could perhaps be their last time seeing him.

"Kazuya…" Anna spoke, her voice getting slightly emotional. "I…..I really wanna be at your side more…so please…..don't die" the brunette spoke through her slight tears.

"Shut up, Anna…." Bruce butted in. He was very agitated with what Anna had said about Kazuya. "We BOTH know that Kazuya won't die! He's a survivor for God's sake! Not even a blast from a damn satellite could finish him off!" the black-skinned man was passionate in his defense of Kazuya.

Realizing that he was only wasting his friends' time, Kazuya decided to make his move. "I will return to you, that I promise. But first, let me close this painful chapter in my life. Until we meet again…a fond farewell….my friends" he told them as he walked away from the entire group.

Anna and Bruce could only stand and watch as their leader continued walking up towards the volcano. They knew that he did not wish to be followed. Kazuya wanted to fight Heihachi alone. And they would honor his wish. It was the least they could do for him, given how even they had yet to figure out how troubled Kazuya's family dynamics were. But in time, they would understand everything.

* * *

 _Outside Hilo International Airport, Hilo, Hawaii_

Since besieging the island, the Mishima Zaibatsu had succeeded in taking control over the local town of Hilo. That also included its airport. A few cargo planes and jet fighters were free to use the airstrip to their liking. But unloading supplies always came before sending air support to the battlefront. In a way, Hilo was useful to the Zaibatsu in the same way that Kalaoa was to the G Corp.

Amidst this unloading of supplies and cargos, a group that had hid themselves in the stowaways of a cargo plane had emerged out of hiding. When the plane had landed on the airstrip, this group had used the distraction to leave the airport undiscovered. They were outside it by climbing the fence.

Master Raven, Nina Williams, Yoshimitsu and Raven all found themselves in a quant Hawaiian neighborhood. But from what they could see, it was completely deserted. They didn't even see a single soul in the houses.

"Well, this place seems charming. I was expecting to see lots of sunburned people walking in the streets" Nina commented, although it was done so out of sarcasm.

"This entire neighborhood has become a ghost town" Yoshimitsu noted grimly as he tried to find at least one civilian. He was not successful.

"Obviously they must have fled the moment the battleships and jet fighters arrived here. But fleeing this island by sea seems impossible. It's dangerous getting caught in the crossfire between the Zaibatsu and the G Corp" Master Raven summarized what had happened to not just this neighborhood, but to the rest of Hilo as well.

"There is a chance that the civilians could have fled to other parts of the island. They're probably hiding in the forest reserves. But then again, there's no telling whether the two opposing sides will take their battle to them as well. I've a feeling that the entire island will be consumed by it" Raven expressed his worries.

The group continued walking, yet they stopped once they could hear the sound of moving vehicles. It was a squadron from the Tekken Force. They had entered this neighborhood from Hilo. From every avenue, tanks, APCs and infantry of the Tekken Force strolled. Some soldiers even went as far as entering the abandoned homes.

"TAKE NO PRISONERS, MEN! SECURE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD SO THAT OUR HOLD ON THE AIRSTRIP WILL NOT BE ENDANGERED!" a commander told his subordinates.

As the Tekken Force squadron started marching through the once lively neighborhood, the group of agents, a ninja and an assassin had disintegrated. Master Raven and her comrade had gone to a nearby tent in a backyard to avoid getting spotted. Nina hid herself in a camping wagon parked in an open garage. And Yoshimitsu hid himself among the trees and palms of the nearby forest. From now one, they did not know what to do now. But they each knew that they were on their own.

"Master Raven. Where do we go now?" Raven asked his superior, as she was peeking outside to make sure nobody was around in the backyard.

She turned around to face him. "Since the battle has already begun, it's safe to assume that Heihachi and Kazuya are about to begin their clash in the Puʻu ʻŌʻō Crater. That means they're at the south of this island" Master Raven informed him.

"And what of the others?" Raven asked her about Nina and Yoshimitsu.

Master Raven responded with a smug smile. "They are more than capable of handling themselves, Raven. It's not our job to babysit them. But if either one of them is sincere enough to put an end to this war, they know where to find us" she replied.

When hearing this, Raven had to do the same thing as his superior/sister did. "You're right. Sorry I asked" he said.

With the coast clear, the two agents dashed out of the tent and into the nearby forest. They were hoping to reach Puʻu ʻŌʻō, as well as apprehend both Heihachi and Kazuya for whatever crimes they stood behind.

Back in the open garage, Nina held onto her sniper rifle as she tried to get a good look of the situation. It was rather complicated for an assassin such as herself.

"Tch, great! Those damn agents have left me in a tailspin. But then again, it's not like I need their help getting out of this place" Nina muttered, still observing the movements of her enemies through the scope.

She could see how several tanks were driving on the streets, as well as some soldiers standing outside the houses as if they lived there. While continuing searching for any chance to escape, she spotted something that really caught her attention. Two large grill tanks were standing next to each other outside a house just across of her standpoint. The Irishwoman pondered as she observed them.

"Hmm….it looks like I can make a commotion that will at least keep them distracted. Maybe not such a bad idea. After all, my aim is not to pick fights with the Tekken Force" Nina was feeling so cavalier as she took her aim at those two grill tankers.

She pulled the trigger and the bullet of her rifle headed straight towards the one grill tank she was aiming for. It quickly exploded without warning. But it didn't end there. The nearby grill tank exploded and the grill itself followed suit. A large explosion caught the nearby soldier's completely off-guard. But the ones who weren't quickly got on the offensive.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! TAKE COVER!" the commander rallied his troops to the nearby tanks and APCs.

As the squadron was distracted by the explosion, Nina used the opportunity to sneak out of the open garage and into the nearby forest. She never once looked back nor took a break. What mattered was that she disappeared from the neighborhood ASAP.

Yoshimitsu, still hiding amongst the trees, had witnessed Nina's stunt. He was not impressed. "That woman. She knows when to take drastic measures to ensure her escape" he remarked before vanishing from his spot on the branch. The swordsman then started his move from tree to tree, his flexibility as a ninja coming in very handy. "I am determined to stop either Kazuya or Heihachi. Both those Mishimas will only bring more ruin with this ongoing war of theirs. But I can't be certain that it will happen. I fear that a battle is about to descend upon this island. Every fighter's limits will be tested. And I dread the feeling of having both Bryan Fury and Kunimitsu coming here" Yoshimitsu expressed his deepest fears.

As he ran through the woods, Yoshimitsu realized how important it was for him not to give up. It was not in the nature of the Manji Party to yield. He would find a way to end this conflict, before more innocents had to suffer for something they never asked for.

But something made the swordsman stop on his tracks. He could hear the sound of a cargo plane flying above. However, there was something on his scanners that indicated to him there were familiar faces onboard it.

"It cannot be…." Yoshimitsu was speechless as he continued gazing upwards.

* * *

 _Onboard a cargo plane, above Hawaii_

While this cargo plane flew with the emblem of the Mishima Zaibatsu, it didn't belong to them. In secret, it was owned by Violet Systems. Lee Chaolan had allowed a large group of fighters to use it to reach Hawaii. This group had been assembled under the guidance of Wang Jinrei. He had done so out of concern over potential activity from the shadowy Acolytes of Pluton. Wang was certain that Revenant would use this opportunity to strike both Kazuya and Heihachi down. He was therefore determined to stop him and any other factions bent on capturing or killing the Mishimas.

One hour before the cargo plane reached Hawaii, the large group of fighters was divided into three smaller groups. Each of them would be placed inside a large crate that were not particular big, yet they were big enough to house a group of people. Most of them objected to this, yet they didn't see any other choice.

The first crate housed those fighters that were considered veterans of the King of Iron Fist Tournaments. But not only was Wang in there, but also Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Lei Wulong, Baek Doo San, Michelle Chang and Ganryu. They were all prepared to be sent down to what they knew to be a battlefield.

"Hmm….." Wang was sitting as if he was mediating. "I feel that it is almost time. We will descend upon the island soon" the elderly man remarked.

"How the heck can you even sense that? I mean, we're stuck inside this big crate with almost no light on" Paul questioned him.

"We best trust Master Wang's judgment" Lei encouraged Paul and those around them. But the police officer seemed to dread what was about to happen to them next. "I really don't know what will kill me. Either getting squished by you guys, or getting shot in the back of the head on the battlefield" he then told them.

Ganryu quickly took offense to what the Chinese man had just said. "Hey! Were you talking about me!?" the Sumo wrestler was furious. "Because if that's the case, I'm gonna sit on you when we have landed! Nobody insults me so easily!" he barked.

"Settle down, Ganryu. He didn't mean it like that" Michelle tried to ease off her friend's anger.

Baek chuckled lightly to what he was hearing. "She's right. Furthermore, this is the only way we have a shot of making it safely to Hawaii. Not the smartest choice, yet still better than nothing" the Korean man helped ease tensions between.

"I hear ya. But I wonder how the other teams will be doing. I mean, aren't they way bigger than ours?" Marshall quizzed.

Michelle let out a deep sigh as she heard him say that. "Ugh, please don't get me started" the Native American woman groaned.

Paul found himself grinning. "Oh, they're probably experiencing hell as we speak" he said, before starting to laugh out loud.

Marshall, Lei and Baek joined in, while Wang, Ganryu and Michelle remained silent. None of them could understand what it was that they found so amusing. But Wang was starting to grow weary of this laughing, so he made that abundantly clear to his allies.

"Be quiet, fools! This is not the time to be joking. We are about to head into a battle" the revered master reprimanded his younger peers.

The three men stopped laughing as a result. They all knew the truth in Wang's words. And there was no telling what they would stumble upon the battlefield.

In the nearby crate, the group consisting of Craig Marduk, Steve Fox, Miguel Caballero Rojo, Bo "Rodeo" Montana, Robert "Bob" Richards, King, Hwoarang and Shuwawei were all struggling to remain put. After all, Marduk and Bob were taking way too much space because of the former's tall height and the latter's round shape. As such, they were starting to argue.

"Hey! Will ya stop putting your shoe at my face!?" Marduk snapped.

Bob groaned. "It's not my fault! This area is way too crowded!" he hit back.

"Then do something about it then, fatso!" the Vale Tudo fighter rudely demanded.

"What did you just call me!? You better take back what you just said, Mr. Steroids!" Bob was angered with what Marduk had just called him.

But those two were not the only ones to experience difficulties with accommodating to the inside of the crate. King and Miguel was having a slight argument in Spanish. It was about either of them having enough room or space. So far, their argument was passionate.

"Oye, luchador! Mueve tu trasero! Necesito más espacio!" Miguel complained as he and King were struggling to move in the crate.

"Cállate, borracho. Tienes suficiente espacio" King sternly replied to him, speaking to Miguel as if he was a child.

The aggressive Spaniard did not appreciate that kind of tone. "Como me llamaste!? Jódete, estúpido jaguar!" Miguel didn't hold back his anger.

In response, King physically grabbed Miguel by the collar of his jacket. The Mexican man felt very agitated by Miguel's lack of manners. Still, he had done anything more to escalate the situation.

"Cuida tu lenguaje! Podría romperte el cuello si quisiera" King lowly, yet aggressively threatened Miguel.

Despite experiencing this, the Spaniard seemed far from intimidated. He only smirked cockily at the masked luchador's threat.

"Lo dudo mucho" Miguel responded.

Meanwhile, Steve, Rodeo, Hwoarang and Shuwawei observed these kafuffles with nothing but irritation. Rodeo was particularly finding this annoying, given that he had expected these people to be more concerned about the upcoming battle than a crowded space.

"Woah. These guys sure know how to get civil. And Master Baek says I'm a hothead" Hwoarang remarked by what he was seeing. "What are those two even saying, anyway?" he then wondered as he looked at Miguel and King.

"Unfortunately, I don't possess much skills in Spanish. I only understand basic greetings" Shuwawei chimed in.

"Same here. Although I can understand the curse words, though" Steve admitted.

Both him and the Koreans could see how Rodeo was not as talkative as they were. Yet Hwoarang decided to get under his skin.

"So, you excited about the upcoming battle?" Hwoarang asked him. He didn't receive an answer. "I'll take that a yes. I mean, that's obvious considering you're a soldier and all. I know all that nonsense. You see, I was in the South Korean military and all" he said that in a laidback and casual manner.

This made Rodeo look at him with a dispassionate glance. "There's nothing to be excited about when it comes to battles. It's about who survives, and those who do not" he informed Hwoarang. "And just to be clear, doing military service is nothing when compared to being sent to the frontlines on a battlefield. If you were in my shoes, you would know what I speak of" Rodeo did not hold back when he tried lecturing the young Korean.

"Why are you being so dicky all of a sudden? I was only asking nicely. Geez, is every soldier in the US Army like this?" Hwoarang noted, feeling that speaking to Rodeo was a waste of time.

However, Rodeo did not like the kind of tone in the young man's voice. "Like I said, kiddo. You don't know what the life of a soldier truly is. You never become a soldier by wearing a camouflage outfit or impress your superiors" he said, now deciding not to speak anymore.

"Tch, whatever you say, sourpuss" Hwoarang rudely responded.

Shuwawei let out a sigh. "I just hope all this mess gets finished quickly" the Korean woman muttered.

Steve was having similar thoughts like her. But then again, the young boxer was thinking about more personal matters when it came to him.

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this. I'd rather leave both Heihachi and Kazuya to die. Over my dead body will I ever accept them as my grandfather and father, respectively" Steve thought, lamenting over the fact that he was a Mishima by blood, although not in the same manner as some others were. "But Lars is right, though. None of them can fall into the hands of some crazy lunatic. Hopefully, it will make it easier for me to forgive myself" the blonde-haired man added.

In the final large crate, it was every girl that had joined the trip who was inside. Asuka Kazama, Josie Rizal, Ling Xiaoyu, Julia Chang, Alisa Bosconovitch, Eleonore "Leo" Kliesen and Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort all sat inside the narrowed space. Yet none of the girls seemed to have issues with regards to being inside this crate.

Julia had even activated her tablet computer, giving light to this previously dark room. "Alright! Since we're gonna actually land by being stuck inside a big crate, I might as well stream this" the four-eyed woman exclaimed as she tapped on the device.

"But do you even have wi-fi here?" Josie asked her out of curiosity.

"Nope. But I can still record everything and download it later" Julia responded.

"But save that stuff for later. What we're about to do now…is crazy beyond imagination" Leo reminded her friends.

"But look on the bright side. At least we get to visit Hawaii. I mean, who could not even dream about visiting a tropical paradise such as that" Lili was into her sassy mode.

Leo facepalmed. "You're not taking this seriously, are you?" the German girl was not impressed with Lili's mood.

"Don't even bother. She's always like that" Asuka encouraged Leo.

Lili found herself smirking at her supposed rival. "Well now, Asuka Kazama. Since we're heading out on a battlefield, I will kindly give you some friendly advice. Please don't die. Otherwise, I'll lose my chance for our rematch" the rich girl literally told Asuka to not get killed.

The Osakan brunette groaned in hearing this. "I know. You've told me that like four times now. Seriously, I don't need you to babysit me, Lili" Asuka assured her.

Alisa, given that she was an android, managed to pick up something happening outside. "I hear the bay door opening! That means its almost time!" she exclaimed, feeling slightly nervous as she used her sensors.

"Oh gosh! I'm really starting to freak out, right now!" Josie couldn't contain herself. She was even on the verge of crying.

But Xiaoyu put a hand on her shoulder, facing Josie with an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. None of us are gonna die here. We'll make it out of here alive. I'm certain of it!" the Chinese girl was surprisingly filled with determination.

Surprisingly, the other girls were feeling determined as well. Even the usually reserved Alisa was having the spark in her eyes. When Josie could see that, hers was already coming back. The young Filipina knew there was no way back now.

"Right! We can do this! All we gotta do is…" Josie was trying to gain confidence, only to be interrupted when she and the other girls felt themselves getting flown into different directions.

The reason was because the three large crates had been cast out of the cargo plane. Once they were at the edge of the bay door, they all fell down towards the island below them. It only took 12 seconds before the parachutes on each crate was activated. Given their weight and size, they each had three parachutes to help them reduce the speed.

But while the crates had been thrown out at the same time, they each landed on different locations on the island. This was likely due to the strong winds in the air. The many soldiers on the battlefield below them had assumed they were nothing but supplies. Therefore, they would not shoot them down. With passing seconds, the three crates filled with fighters descended upon the island.

Inside each of these crates, the groups were very cautious. While feeling discomfort with being inside them, they also wondered whether they would get shot by anything, from a sharpshooter to a tank. Yet surprisingly, they heard no gunshots. They would just have to wait till they landed in order to see where they had arrived at.

* * *

 _In the depths of the Puʻu ʻŌʻō Crater, Hawaii_

This very crater was filled with all sorts of volcanic activity. Eruptions occurred without warning. The air itself was filled with smoke, cinder and brimstone. In other words, there was no sign of life in this hellish pit. In the middle of the lake of lava, an island of brimstone and rocky walls stood still, surprisingly unaffected by the enormous heat in the area. And if that wasn't enough, the crater's walls and cliffs were running with lava. It looked as if there was no way in or out of Puʻu ʻŌʻō. And above the pit itself, the skies thundered and darkened. As such, no daylight could ever be seen.

Still, it mattered little to Heihachi and Kazuya. The father and the son were still determined to settle their score once and for all in the depths of this volcanic nightmare. Kazuya had already arrived at the small island in the middle of the lava lake. But he soon realized that he was not alone. The Japanese man could see someone through the thick layers of smog.

"So, you have finally come" a loud and abrasive voice could be heard. "I was starting to wondering whether you had reconsidered" it added, probably as an attempt to mock Kazuya.

Kazuya's expression remained unchanged. He still carried the face of a cold-hearted killer. That's why he would not let his opponent get under his skin.

"Quite the location you've chosen to die at. Can't say I'm impressed" Kazuya responded, not hiding his open dislike for volcanoes.

He could hear steps coming towards him. But Kazuya remained motionless. Out of hiding in the smog emerged his despised father: Heihachi. He had already chosen to wear his black Karate gi outfit with a red belt.

"I thought it was apt" Heihachi responded to Kazuya's criticism. "After all, you have a bad history with volcanoes" he then added, once again trying to get under his son's skin.

"Speak for yourself, old man. It's already too late to spread these meaningless thoughts into my mind" Kazuya said, his gloved hands clenching themselves. "We both know what comes next. So I say we cut this bullshit and get on with it!" he told his father.

Both father and son stood a few distance away from each other. All around them, fires and cinders flew in the air. Yet neither Mishima seemed to be affected. They were focused on facing each other. This would be after all, their final battle.

But as both father and son faced each other with killing intent, something happened with their eyes. A single tear fell from Heihachi's left eye and Kazuya's right eye. Why they did that, no one would ever know.

"Heihachi…" the old man was reminiscing of a woman he once loved.

"Kazuya…" he was reminiscing of a woman he had secretly loved.

Heihachi and Kazuya were each trying to overcome their brief sadness that was taking hold within them. Knowing that they needed to be ready for battle, each Mishima let go of their past feelings towards these different women. Now, it was time for battle.

"Let us finish this feud once and for all. This world needs only one hero…...one ruler…and one winner!" Heihachi broke the silence when he spoke up.

The rage within Kazuya was on full display. "It's time for you to meet your end! For every chapter you have screwed me over…your death will put an end to them!" he replied with venomous words.

The two opponents did not charge towards one another immediately. They waited for the opportunity to strike. In the meantime, they each showed their powers on full display. Kazuya was beginning to expose his devilish energy. Heihachi, on the other hand, let out his living lightning. Neither father nor son was backing down from this fight.

The moment a pillar of lava sprouted out on the island as a result of the two Mishimas' powers, they started their fight. Heihachi and Kazuya clashed fists, each of them trying to overpower the other with his lightning. But at this rate, they were evenly matched. Their attempt to uppercut the other failed, so they proceeded to fight one another in hand-to-hand combat.

When fighting with fists didn't work out, they resorted to using their kicks. But as they were about to attack each other, a molten rock had suddenly fallen between the two opponents. It had been sent flying as a result of the pillar of lava's emerging. Therefore, their kicks resulted in only destroying the molten rock. They resumed their hand-to-hand combat once it was reduced to bits.

Each Mishima was determined to punch the other in the face. Unfortunately for Heihachi, Kazuya was quicker. He had succeeded in narrowly dodging his father's incoming fist. For that reason, coupled with the powerful punch coming from Kazuya, Heihachi was sent flying towards a pile of rocks. He crashed through them, yet surprisingly managed to land on his feet.

But Heihachi knew that his foe was still at him. When he looked up, Kazuya was already heading towards him with a flying kick. Such attack was powerful indeed. Yet Heihachi stood his guard, blocking Kazuya's attack by shielding himself with his arms. The Mishima Patriarch proceeded to launch a counterattack, only for his son to shove his arm away.

Kazuya resumed to punch his father repeatedly, not even holding back. But like him, Heihachi was also quick-witted. When Kazuya attempted to punch him with his left hand, Heihachi grabbed hold of it, thus stopping the attack. He grinned in a smug manner, making Kazuya's blood boil. It made Kazuya attempt to punch Heihachi with his other free hand, only for his opponent to grab hold of it as well.

With both hands in his grasp, Heihachi proceeded to deliver powerful headbutt upon his son, sending him flying towards the pile of rocks. Kazuya quickly got up on his feet, realizing that he was bleeding.

"You have no hope of victory! My strength equals to that of a god, one that few humans are blessed with!" Heihachi spat as he made his way towards Kazuya. "If you are that determined to best me, then holding back and get serious for once!" the old man taunted his son.

Watching his father speak to him with such sanctimony filled Kazuya with the most hateful memories. He even remembered the times he had lost to Heihachi, including to when he had been thrown by him a second time. It was during the conclusion of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 2. That memory alone had only intensified his hatred towards his father. He had always been confident that he would have won, as he did during the first tournament.

"Heihachi…" Kazuya uttered out the name of his father in a loathsome manner. "I will not be defeated again…not by the likes of you…YOU ARE POWERLESS AGAINST ME!" he roared while unleashing the power of his Devil Gene.

Kazuya's burst sent shockwaves through the area, and it even made some molten rocks fly away. Winds could be felt, and Heihachi did his best to cover himself. The Mishima Patriarch could see his son's demonic energy on full display, yet he had not yet transformed into his Devil form.

Standing on top of the pile, Kazuya had undergone a slight change to his appearance. His Evil Eye had been activated! Heihachi knew what this meant. But he was already caught off guard when his son started firing beams of lasers across the volcanic environment. The scars Kazuya made resulted in lava emerging from below. They managed to trap Heihachi. He angrily glared up to his son, who was preparing a new round of attacks with his Evil Eye.

"DAMN YOU, KAZUYAAAAAAA!" Heihachi cursed as he had to contend with Kazuya using only a small part of his demonic powers.

 _To be continued…_


End file.
